


My Silver Lining

by Soozen



Series: Rabbit Heart [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Airbender Ty Lee (Avatar), Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Drama, F/M, Friendship, Hallucinations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 28,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28604607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soozen/pseuds/Soozen
Summary: The war is over. Azula is locked away without her bending, Zuko is Fire Lord, and Jet is no longer brainwashed. The dust has settled, and Ty Lee is ready for a calmer chapter of her life.But when Aang offers to restore the airbending she should have been born with, she is once again pulled into an unforeseen adventure.The sequel to Sons and Daughters.On hiatus
Relationships: Aang & Ty Lee, Azula & Ty Lee (Avatar), Jet & Zuko (Avatar), Jet/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Series: Rabbit Heart [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884745
Comments: 19
Kudos: 11





	1. I Don't Want to Wait Anymore

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So this story had previously been posted under the title of Kiss the Sky. I elected to change it because the song I picked to capture the feel of the fic really didn't fit, and this one fits better. 
> 
> THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES MADE TO THE STORY. I found myself stuck on a plot point that was completely unnecessary, so everything to do with that has been edited out. There are a lot of changes made to chapter three, and a couple in chapter two. This first chapter remains largely, if not entirely, unchanged from the original. If you had read Kiss the Sky, I encourage you to reread the first three chapters.

_“Ty Lee… Do you want to be an airbender?”_

* * *

The sunrises in Ba Sing Se were less than spectacular, especially in comparison to the sunset Ty Lee had witnessed the previous evening. Maybe it was only because the sunset had been so breath-taking, or maybe it was because the balcony of the Jasmine Dragon was facing westward. Still, Ty Lee found herself longing for the sunrises of Ember Island.

There was a slight chill in the air, lingering from the night, as she rolled out a small rug, ready to stretch her muscles and open her chakras. She could use some realigning after the previous night.

As she smoothed her rug down, the door connecting to the balcony opened and out stepped Zuko, a rolled mat tucked beneath his arm. He greeted her with a nod, and she returned it with a wide grin and a wave.

Wordlessly, they each settled into their respective morning rituals, greeting the day with their own form of quiet meditation. Even as she settled into her first position, Ty Lee could feel everything settling into place. It felt good to have Zuko beside her at the start of the day again. She had missed this.

Zuko was the first to break the silence, after his breathing exercises were completed and Ty Lee had finished her yoga routine.

“I’m surprised Aang didn’t join us,” he said as they sat on their mats, watching as the sky turned from grey to blue. “Katara and Suki too, actually.”

“I think I overheard Katara saying something about wanting a morning walk; Suki had sounded interested,” Ty Lee replied, leaning back, propped up by her hands. “And…. I think Aang is giving me some space.”

“Space?”

Ty Lee let her eyes rest on her feet. “…Yeah. He asked me something big last night- like, _really_ big. I- well, I got overwhelmed, and said I needed to think, and he got super sad.”

She slumped forward, crossing her legs and resting her chin in her palm. Since last night, her aura had been so heavy, she could actually _feel_ it weighing her down. Her skin was going to break out, she just knew it.

Not that it was her top concern. But it only contributed to the general _ickiness_ of it all.

“Huh. I thought you would be excited about being an airbender.”

Ty Lee whipped her head around to look at Zuko so fast that her braid nearly swung around to smack her in the face. “ _What_?! You knew he asked me?”

He responded with an off-handed shrug. “He told me a while ago that he was planning to ask you, next time he saw you. Wanted to know what I thought you’d say. I figured you’d leap at the chance.” Zuko gave her a sideways glance. “Do you _not_ want to be an airbender?”

“No- well, I don’t know?” Ty Lee heaved a dramatic sigh, looking upwards at the sky. “I mean, maybe? It’s so confusing.” She paused. “Why did you tell him I wanted to?”

“I don’t know why anyone _wouldn’t_ want to be a bender.”

Letting out a small whine, Ty Lee flopped back onto her mat. “It’s not that I _don’t_ want to be able to airbend. I think that would be so cool, to float with the wind and be so free….” A sigh escaped her lips. “It’s everything else.”

Zuko shifted, turning to face her while remaining seated. “What do you mean?”

She kept her eyes fixated on the cloudless sky, biting her bottom lip. “Aang was so hopeful when he asked me, Zuko. I could see it in his eyes, and his aura, it was practically sparkling, he was so eager. And when I told him that I needed to think it over, it was like I- like I crushed him.”

Even now, removed from last night, in happier company, Ty Lee could see the way Aang’s aura had swiftly gone from bright and dazzling to dull, dark. Her own aura weighed heavier around her.

“Well, yeah. He’s really excited for there to be another airbender.”

“ _Exactly_.” One look at Zuko revealed that he was not following her point. Ty Lee scowled, letting out a frustrated grunt, and sat up to face him. “It’s not just about me being _a_ bender, but an _airbender_. This isn’t about me connecting to an element, it’s about his people, his culture, carrying it on.”

Zuko didn’t appear moved by what she said.

“It’s your culture too,” he pointed out. “You’re also Air Nomad, Ty Lee. That’s why he asked _you_. If this was just about creating more airbenders and rebuilding the Air Nomads, Aang would be taking applications.”

“But I know nothing about being an Air Nomad,” Ty Lee explained. “I only just found out I was a few months ago. What if I say yes, and he makes me an airbender, and I hate everything about Air Nomad culture?”

“Then you’ll talk to Aang about it.” Her expression of disbelief must have been overly apparent, for Zuko rolled his eyes. “You’re overthinking this. Have you ever known Aang to be anything but understanding?”

“Well, no….”

“Exactly.” Zuko stood up, stepping off of his rug to pick it up. As he rerolled it, he added, “I’m not going to tell you what to do; you have to decide. But just…take the day off of thinking about it.”

Ty Lee nodded, but before she could respond, the door slid open again, and it was Jet who came out, walking slowly, stiffly. In an instant, she was on her feet, nearly running to Jet’s side.

“Jet! Where’s your cane? Do you need me to get it for you?” she asked, taking him by the forearm to help support him.

“Good morning to you, too.” He bent down for a kiss, and Ty Lee stood on her toes to meet him. “I left it inside. Figure I can at least walk short distances without it.”

“Barely,” Zuko scoffed. He’d come to stand beside them. “Don’t forget, Uncle’s serving breakfast downstairs today.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Jet replied, shifting his arm so that it was around Ty Lee, resting squarely on her shoulder. Zuko shuffled past them and into the Jasmine Dragon. “So, you ready to eat?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. It’s so nice out. I think it’s going to be warmer today. I just want to soak in any sunshine I can.”

Jet looked out over the balcony that was mostly cast in shadow. “This doesn’t seem like the right place to do that.”

“I know that. I just mean, like, in general today.” What actually seemed like a good idea was climbing to the top of the roof of the tea shop, to feel the sun on her skin from there. But Jet would never be able to, not with his leg.

Ty Lee doubted she would ever not feel guilty about the permanent limp Jet now bore. She wouldn’t go anywhere he couldn’t. But she tried not to think about that too much. When she did, she thought of the letter she received from Iroh, back in the north pole, explaining that Jet could never go to the Fire Nation. And if she was sticking with him, then _she_ could never go home.

It was an upsetting thought, and easier just to not think of it. And so long as Jet didn’t know about the letter, and so long as she never got homesick, this wouldn’t be a problem at all.

“But let’s just enjoy the fresh air,” she added. “Besides, we haven’t had _any_ time alone together since we were in the north pole. Let’s just sit up here for a little bit. Please?”

Jet snorted softly, looking fondly down at her. “You don’t need to beg,” he laughed lightly. “But you are going to need to help me get back up again.”

“Of course!”

Ty Lee guided Jet over to her rug, and though he protested that he didn’t need any help in sitting down, she was there to aid him as well. Once he was seated comfortably, she snuggled up against him.

“You know,” Jet said after a moment. “Suki was telling me last night that you apparently taught her some fighting moves.”

“Mmmyep! Chi blocking,” Ty Lee supplied the name for him.

“Yeah, that. Said you had managed to take out her and a couple of her warriors with that blocking stuff.”

He was eyeing her, almost suspiciously, confusingly actually. She nodded in response, wondering where he was going with this.

“And…. Katara and Sokka, they said you brought them down with it too, once.”

“A few times, actually, but a couple times they had already surrendered, and I was just making sure they couldn’t fight back,” Ty Lee explained. “This was all when I was with Azula; it’s ancient history.”

Jet shook his head. “No, that’s not what I’m getting at. It’s just…. I’ve seen Katara and Sokka and even Toph fight; hell, I fought Katara, and she kicked my ass. And Suki isn’t some novice either.”

“What’s your point?”

“My point is that you’ve fought and bested some of the best benders and fighters out there, and you never told me that you’re some sort of super soldier. I swear, the more I hear of you, the less real you sound.” He let out a short laugh. “Acrobat, warrior, prettiest girl in all the world; is there anything you aren’t?”

“A bender,” she said before thinking, and wrinkled her nose. “Let’s not talk about me, okay? How-“ And she searched for a new topic, before Jet could question her. “How are you feeling, seeing everyone again? Any memories come back?”

Jet shorted. “You mean, besides realizing that I was right and that Lee and Mushi are actually firebenders. I can’t believe they’re the _Fire Lord_ and Dragon of the West. Unbelievable.” He rubbed his face with his hand. “I don’t think I knew Suki before last night, but Zuko’s girlfriend…. She’s…. There’s something familiar about her.”

Ty Lee sat up straight, no longer leaning against Jet. “You remember Mai?” she questioned.

“No, it’s not _remembering_ remembering. It’s more like…. I have the impression that I should know her, but nothing’s there. Why?”

She swallowed. “Mai was…. She’s the other person Azula had…you know.”

It was still difficult to put into words, that Azula had used the Dai Li’s brainwashing techniques to fully control Mai and Jet. But this was a good sign. Jet had never known Mai outside of his time ‘serving’ Azula.

“Oh.” Jet frowned for a moment, then looked back to Ty Lee, that mischievous twinkle in his eye again. “You were really excited to see her when we got here. Childhood friend?”

And just like that, Ty Lee’s apprehension completely disappeared. “Yes! I’ve known Mai for most of my life, and she is just so great! She pretends that she doesn’t care about anything, but she cares about _so_ many things! We would play hide and seek together, and- and you know how I told you I wanted to warn you before Azula got to you? Mai was who I went to first. She let me meet up with Zuko in secret in her house to form a plan, and she did this all without knowing what we were even planning. She’s the greatest friend in the whole world! You should talk to her! During breakfast! Oh, but don’t be surprised if she doesn’t talk much or smile, or seem interested at all; it’s just the way she is.”

For whatever reason, her reaction earned a small bout of laughter from Jet. “I just might do that,” he grinned, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Ready to go eat?”

With a shake of her head, Ty Lee leaned against Jet again. “Just a few more minutes. I feel like we won’t see each other for much of the day.”

* * *

Ty Lee’s assumption turned out to be very much correct.

Breakfast had turned out into a loud event, with so many strong personalities at one table. It was unlikely anyone noticed that Aang and Ty Lee situated themselves as far as possible from each other, since so many conversations were starting at once. Sokka voiced that he wanted to check out the shops of the lower ring, which Ty Lee excitedly agreed to do. Inwardly, Jet groaned. There had been so much walking, from the bay to the north of Ba Sing Se, all the way to and then into the city. Yes, he used his cane the entire time, but sharp pains shot up his knee with every step he took now.

Honestly, it would be the very best thing for him to stay put at the Jasmine Dragon, or find a tub of hot water to soak his leg in.

As Ty Lee went on about how long it had been since she’d had the chance to even wander into a shop, Mai declared that she had no desire to look at things she wasn’t going to buy, and would prefer to stay in.

That sounded pretty good.

At the other end of the table, Jet could overhear a discussion of going to a zoo that Aang had apparently built the last time they were in the city. A zoo. Sometimes, Jet could forget just how young Aang was, and then he would come up with a childish idea such as this. Smirking, he looked to Ty Lee to make a quick remark, but she was engrossed in conversation with Sokka bout what sort of things they could look for while shopping. So, he turned his attention across across the table at Zuko. “You going to go to the zoo too?”

There was no smile from Zuko; perhaps he hadn’t found humor in the question. “No. I have to go to the palace. I have a meeting with the Grand Secretariat.”

“Really.” Jet leaned back in his seat in surprise. “I thought we were all here to celebrate your coronation.”

 _That_ was something Jet was going to have to take some time to get used to. When he had first seen Zuko the prior afternoon, flickers and glimpses of a memory had come back to him, of the ferry ride into Ba Sing Se, of a fight just outside of this shop. He’d recognized him almost immediately as Lee, only to be corrected, that while he had once known him as Lee, this was _Fire Lord_ Zuko.

Utterly bizarre. Hard to think about, and much easier to just accept it for what it was.

Zuko swallowed a mouthful of rice and egg. “We are. But there’s a lot of work to be done, with the war over, and reparations to be made.”

That earned him some side eye from his gloomy girlfriend. “I thought this meeting wasn’t for reparations.”

“Don’t worry, it isn’t,” Zuko assured Mai. Noticing Jet’s curious look, he added, “It’s about…you know. The brainwashing the Dai Li did.”

Jet blinked in surprise, and leaned in, suddenly much more interested in this meeting Zuko had. “About what, exactly?” He looked from Zuko to Mai. “Could it affect me?”

“Probably, yeah,” Zuko nodded. “I- we want to know if it’s possible to get the trigger phrase removed.”

It never had occurred to Jet that there was still, most likely, a phrase that could render him under hypnosis, and undo all the work that had been done to get him back to normal. “Shit. When are you guys going?”

Zuko glanced at Mai, who let out a dramatic sigh, as if she were bothered. Her tone said otherwise. “I’m apparently not welcome in the palace. Something about a coup to overthrow the Earth King a few months ago.”

And that was how Jet learned that Mai, along with Ty Lee, had apparently been involved in the fall of Ba Sing Se.

* * *

In further talks with Zuko, Jet had managed to get himself invited to the meeting, making the point that it might be helpful to have someone with him who needed what they were looking for. And so, Jet found himself inside the palace of Ba Sing Se, in a large and very green room, sitting in hard wooden chairs across from an austere woman with sharp features. Grand Secretariat Min had not been especially pleased at the added company, noting that she had thought it was going to be a ‘closed’ meeting.

Whatever. This was important, and Jet wasn’t about to leave this up to Zuko to bungle. Jet remembered how Zuko handled stress; when he’d confronted him all those months ago about being a firebender, Zuko had immediately leapt at the opportunity to fight him. Fighting wasn’t going to help here.

However, the transformation Zuko had gone through just by donning the robes fitting of a Fire Lord and tying his hair up in a phoenix tail, fixed with the royal hairpiece…. It was difficult to think of him as Lee, or even just Zuko anymore. He looked every bit the part of the Fire Lord.

It made Jet uneasy, to be honest.

“I was told you had this meeting scheduled with a specific question in mind,” Min spoke. “It is my understanding that this is the reason you arranged this without the invitation to the king?”

“I understand that King Kuei is busy, and this truly doesn’t involve him,” Zuko replied.

“The problem that arose with the last Grand Secretariat came from keeping our king in the dark. I don’t intend to continue down the same path as my predecessor.” Her green eyes were cold as she stared at Zuko. Jet nearly groaned; they were off to a great start.

“Of course. I mean no disrespect to you or King Kuei,” Zuko apologized smoothly.

“Why are you here?” Quick, to the point. This woman had little patients for the pomp of society. Jet liked that.

“The brainwashing techniques used by your Dai Li agents-”

Grand Secretariat Min cut him off. “ _Once_ used, Fire Lord. The monstrous method employed under Long Feng’s direction have since been banned.”

Jet let out a low exhale. “Good.”

Both Zuko and Min looked at Jet when he spoke; a glare from the Fire Lord for interrupting, a curious and harsh look from the Grand Secretariat. Right. He was probably supposed to sit quietly, let the ‘adults’ talk. As if Zuko was older than him.

“I’m sorry, but why _is_ he here?” Min questioned. “He is clearly not Fire Nation; certainly not anyone of any status.” Her eyes slid back to Jet. “No offense meant, of course.”

“None taken,” he responded easily. “I’ve got a special interest in this.”

“Jet is a friend of mine,” Zuko explained, and Jet couldn’t help but smirk at that. Friend already? It felt weird. He hadn’t been friends with Lee. But maybe now he could be with _Zuko_. “And he was brainwashed by the Dai Li some months ago. We’ve managed to…reverse most of it. But he and I are looking to see if the trigger phrase could be removed.”

“I see. I’m afraid I cannot help you.” And Min pushed her chair back, ready to stand, and most likely leave.

“Wait, why not?” Jet demanded, rising to his feet before Min could, wincing as he put pressure on his leg.

“ _Sit down_ ,” Zuko hissed at him, but otherwise remained composed, and reiterated Jet’s question as Jet sank back down into his chair. “Why can’t it be reversed? It was implanted; surely it can be removed.”

Min sighed, leaning back in her chair and lacing her fingers together. “That’s not how it works. Anything the mind knows cannot be removed. Things can be covered or hidden away in the mind, certainly, but removed? Impossible. Once it exists, it will always exist.”

“So I’m just supposed to go on with my life, knowing there are people out there who can- who can mess with my head whenever they want?” Jet hadn’t meant to snap. He was there to make sure Zuko was being diplomatic; he hadn’t expected Zuko to already be successful at it.

The Grand Secretariat shrugged. “It isn’t as if the whole world knows the phrase; _I_ don’t know it. All members of the Dai Li who had known- and there were precious few who did- had followed the Fire Nation princess to her homeland. The likelihood of you stumbling upon anyone who knows the phrase is nearly at zero. You have nothing to worry about.”

* * *

“This is bullshit,” Jet grunted, and beside him, Zuko nodded.

They were in a private car of the train that connected the various rings. Kyoshi Warriors- sans Suki- had escorted the two of them to the train, but at Zuko’s insistence had boarded a different car. Zuko had been quick to change out of the regal robes, letting his hair quite literally down. The people of Ba Sing Se were sensitive to the image of anything related to the Fire Nation, he explained. The less they saw someone dressed in red, the better.

It wasn’t a bad idea.

“I know. Mai isn’t going to be happy.” Zuko sighed, letting his head fall back against the windows of the train. “She’s…. I think she’s scared. It’s hard to tell with her. But she gets nightmares a lot; wakes up shaking and sweating.”

Jet leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You guys spending the nights together?”

That earned him a sharp jab at his bicep. “Shut up, it’s not like that. She…. She sleeps better when she isn’t alone. The nightmares aren’t as bad. At least, according to her they aren’t. She still wakes up from time to time though.”

Rubbing his arm where Zuko had punched him, Jet nodded. “Does she, you know, remember anything? About when we—I mean, she was with Azula?”

“No,” Zuko shook his head. “She says it’s all blank. There’s…. There’s a lot she doesn’t remember. She pretends, gets by without speaking much; she listens closely, puts things together when she can. But she just….” Another heavy exhale from Zuko. “I just want her back to normal.”

“Maybe…get her to the north pole?” Jet suggested. “I think- I mean, I don’t really know, but I think I’ve got most of my memories back? It’s hard to tell unless someone brings up something I don’t recall- but I don’t think there are any big gaps anymore. Whatever was in that Spirit Water did its job. Though…. You’ll have to hide that you guys are Fire Nation. Ty Lee got some _hate_ while we were there.”

Zuko nodded knowingly. “Yeah, I figured it might be like that. It’s a common theme outside of the Fire Nation. But maybe….. I could try to get that water here, and maybe Katara could try her hand at it?”

“Could work.”

Katara certainly had been instrumental in helping him to remember what had happened; he had a suspicion it was a combination of the water and Katara feeding him bits of his life, helping to coax the memories out of wherever they had been hidden away. He should probably thank her for that.

“Hey.”

Jet looked up at Zuko, unaware that he’d ended up lost in thought.

“Look, I just….” Zuko was struggling with whatever he was trying to say. Sitting upright, Jet turned to face him. “I want to apologize. For getting you arrested by the Dai Li-”

“I think I got myself arrested, if I remember correctly,” Jet interrupted. “Longshot and Smellerbee, they’d tried to tell me to stop what I was doing. I didn’t listen. I went with my gut- which, I would like to point out, _was correct_ \- and that got me arrested. Not you.”

Zuko didn’t seem satisfied. “That’s not all I have to apologize for.”

That was a surprise. As far as he knew, that was the only time he’d ever known Zuko, unless he was about to be confronted with a gap in his memory. “What was it then?”

“Did Ty Lee tell you how you ended up with Azula?”

“Just that she was the one that brought me to her.”

The Fire Lord looked away, out the window. “ Well, I was the one that got Azula interested in finding you.”

Jet could only stare at Zuko in disbelief, and in his silence, Zuko continued.

“The first time the four of us- Azula, Ty Lee, Mai, and I- got together after she met you, Ty Lee was telling us about you. She said something about you being in Ba Sing Se, and when she said your name, I tried to figure out if the Jet she’d met while visiting her aunt was the same Jet I met in Ba Sing Se. I was concerned; I’m sure you know why-“

“I don’t.”

Zuko gave him a pointed look. “You _hated_ the Fire Nation, Jet; that’s the whole reason you were arrested, remember? And if you were the same Jet that was flirting with Ty Lee—I just didn’t want to see her get hurt. Anyway, Azula overheard Ty Lee and I talking about you, and I guess she already knew that the Dai Li used brainwashing on those they arrested, and you know the rest. I’m sorry. Really. I wasn’t trying to have anything like this happen, I just wanted to look out for Ty Lee. No one else was going to.”

Jet’s brow furrowed. “…You thought I’d, what, attack her?”

“Not exactly—wait.” Zuko gave him an incredulous look. “You aren’t mad?”

“A little, maybe.” Jet settled in against the back of his chair again. “It wasn’t like you had done this on purpose. And yeah, I would have rather none of this-” He gestured to his head. “-had happened, but it did. It did, and it sucks, but….” A low exhale as he gathered his thoughts. “From what I remember, I used to be angry. I held onto my anger, and used it as fuel, and that’s what ultimately got me here, started the whole chain of events. All that pent up rage at the Fire Nation, blaming everyone in the Fire Nation for what I went through as a kid.”

Jet let out a short chuckle. “The craziest thing is _Ty Lee_ , you know? I think- I think I struggled with seeing the people of the Fire Nation when I first got there with Aang and everyone. They were so normal, just regular people, not monsters. I didn’t _like_ them, but it was hard to hate sick and starving villagers. And then I met Ty Lee, and not one part of me hated her at any point, not for a moment. She’s Fire Nation, and she is just the sweetest person I’ve met in my life, and my anger was _wrong_. So I’m not—I’m trying not to hold onto it anymore.”

“Turning into a pacifist now?” Zuko poked at him. “I get it. Like I said, your hatred to the Fire Nation was what put me on alert. I didn’t think you’d actually physically hurt her, but that you might break her heart by being disingenuous. She was really very excited that she met you.”

The thought of Ty Lee that thrilled at the thought of him was certainly a pleasant one, bringing a smile to Jet’s face. “I bet that was cute to watch.”

The train came to the station, the doors automatically sliding open, most likely powered by an unseen earthbender. Zuko grabbed the bag that held his royal clothes, and they exited the train. The Kyoshi Warriors took up their positions around the two of them. They weren’t exactly inconspicuous traveling through the city surrounded by armored women in garish makeup, but at least there was a possibility to be mistaken as high society Earth Kingdom.

As they walked (and he could tell Zuko was used to moving at a faster pace, the way he was staggering his steps to match Jet’s), a thought occurred to Jet. “You’ve known Ty Lee for a while, right?”

“Kind of. She was Azula’s friend when we were kids. We really didn’t talk much until after the city fell. Why?”

“I’ve been hearing bits and pieces about her fighting skills,” Jet explained. “Is she really that good?”

Zuko gave Jet a bewildered look. “How should I know? I’ve never seen her fight. But….” His expression softened to a more thoughtful one. “Actually, if she’s able to keep up with Mai and Azula, she’s probably a force to be reckoned with.”

This was probably the strangest thing about Ty Lee. Bubbly, sweet and chipper Ty Lee, some sort of powerhouse fighter. Jet absolutely could not picture it. “She doesn’t seem like she could hurt a spider-fly.”

Zuko snorted. “I’m pretty sure she was the one who took you down during the comet.”

“Really?”

“Well, she either stopped you or Mai; one of you gave her that scar on her cheek.” He spoke casually, as if the possibility that Jet had hurt Ty Lee was not a big deal. “Ty Lee was pretty non-committal when I asked her about it; you know how she is. But I don’t think it was Mai. If Mai managed to get a blade that close to Ty Lee, she’d be dead right now.”

Jet grit his teeth, trying to handle this new information; that he had apparently fought against Ty Lee at some point and she had thankfully come up top (which was no easy feat; Jet prided himself on how skilled he was with the tiger blades), that he had apparently _hurt_ her, and that Ty Lee was probably the reason for his badly healed leg.

“This is all new to me,” he settled on saying, mostly to himself.

He was going to need to sit down at talk with Ty Lee. This wasn’t the first time she’d failed to explain something to him.

* * *

Ty Lee never- not in a million years- would have expected Sokka to be the shopping buddy she had always dreamed of. If anyone, she would have pegged Katara as the shopper of the group. But Sokka was really a pleasure to go shopping with.

Not that Ty Lee had done any shopping of her own. All the money she had was Fire Nation currency, which apparently was not accepted within the Earth Kingdom. Sokka ended up buying her a pair of slippers she’d been eyeing, which was very sweet. She, in turn, promised to buy him whatever he wanted the next time they were in the Fire Nation.

Even with a lack of funds on her part, Ty Lee thoroughly enjoyed touring the stores with Sokka. It was only the two of them; Suki had confessed there was nothing about browsing through shops that she found appealing, and since Sokka had found someone else to go with, she would be staying at the Jasmine Dragon with Mai.

They ran from store to store, examining so many curios and clothes, shoes and bags. In one utterly delightful clothing shop, Ty Lee tried on one absolutely gorgeous pale green daxiushan. She had never worn anything so luxurious as this; the quality of the dress certainly was not on par with the robes the Fire Nation royal family would wear, but she felt just as fine as a Fire Lady in it. Maybe, one day, she would come back with Earth Kingdom money and purchase it.

She really had felt like a queen in it; even Sokka had complimented her.

They returned to the Jasmine Dragon with arms full of items Sokka had picked up, most of it being technical devices that Ty Lee couldn’t understand what they were for but knew Sokka had found them to be quite special. Without meaning to, she had actually taken Zuko’s advice, to distract herself from the question Aang had posed to her.

But when they entered the upstairs of the Jasmine Dragon, it came back. Aang was missing from the room. Suki and Mai were engaged in a pai sho game (and it was quickly being derailed by Sokka’s excitement to show off everything he’d purchased to his girlfriend) while Katara watched, as Zuko, Toph and Jet sat in another corner, talking.

“Have any of you seen Aang?” Ty Lee asked, approaching the quieter trio.

Zuko shook his head as Toph answered. “Went out on the balcony a while ago; said he wanted to be alone. Twinkle-Toes has been in a mood all day.”

That did nothing to make this easier. “I’ll go see if I can talk to him,” Ty Lee offered, but before she could take a step, Jet caught her at her wrist.

“Think you’ll be long? I was hoping to get some time in with you.”

Across from him, Toph made a face, sticking out her tongue.

“It might? I promise, as soon as I’m done checking on him, I’ll come right back to you, okay?” Ty Lee pressed a kiss to his cheek, and he let go of her wrist.

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Jet called after her as she opened the door to the balcony and stepped out. At least, even if the conversation with Aang ended up getting heavy, she had Jet to look forward to.

However, the balcony was empty. Ty Lee frowned, looking around the open space, as if Aang might be hiding somewhere, but there was nowhere to hide. There was no furniture, there were no alcoves. As she turned to face the door again, Ty Lee happened to look up, and let out a sigh of relief. Up on the roof, his back to her, was Aang.

It took only a few quick jumps and leaps for Ty Lee to manage her way up onto the roof. Aang looked back at her when she pulled herself up, then returned to looking out over the city. Working up the courage for this conversation, Ty Lee stepped up beside him. Aang was sitting with his knees bent, with his arms looped around them, his chin resting against his knees.

“Mind if I sit down?”

“Go ahead.”

Toph hadn’t been exaggerating when she said Aang was in a mood. Ty Lee lowered herself down beside him, wondering how to start this. She wasn’t good at starting heavy conversations; she didn’t _like_ heavy conversations.

This felt like it would be best suited for Ember Island. She would forever associate difficult conversations about personal topics with that island, and the way it strengthened friendships.

“Did you have fun at the zoo?” she tried, and Aang nodded.

“The animals seemed happy.” A pause, and then he asked, “Did you have fun shopping with Sokka?”

Okay, they were getting somewhere! “Tons,” Ty Lee admitted, upbeat and smiling. “No one ever told me that Sokka loves to shop. I’ll have to remember that the next time we’re in Caldera; I bet he’d like the stores there as well.”

Aang nodded, but she could tell his thoughts were elsewhere. Okay. Maybe trying to start lightly was not the way to go. She would have to just jump right in.

“Hey, can we talk about last night?” she asked. “You were pretty upset. You still seem upset.”

Aang frowned, lifting his head a little. He hadn’t yet looked at her since she sat down beside him, “I just don’t understand why you don’t want to be an airbender. You were so excited at your aunt’s house when we found out that you are part Air Nomad.”

“I didn’t say I don’t want to, just that I needed time to think about it.”

“What’s the difference?” Aang finally looked at her, scowling. “If you wanted to, you would have said yes. This is just a delayed no.”

Ty Lee let out a small whine of frustration. “Aang, I would _love_ to be an airbender. Don’t you think I would love to fly on a glider, and feel connected to the air in a whole new way, or just feel spiritually _whole_?”

His brows came together in confusion. “Then why didn’t you say yes?”

“If I say yes, then…. Then I’m the only other airbender in the whole world. My whole identity will change; I won’t be Ty Lee the acrobat anymore. I probably won’t be able to go back to the circus again. And I think about that, and how much about my life will change.” Ty Lee slumped forward, letting it all out. “Aang, there’s so much about I don’t know about Air Nomad culture- everything I was taught about the Air Nomads is probably a lie, and I know how important this all is to you. I don’t want to make a mistake I can’t take back.”

“But…you already do so much that’s in line with being an Air Nomad,” Aang said softly, reassuringly. “It’s like it’s instinctive. After you came to the Western Air Temple, even before we knew your heritage, I enjoyed spending time with you because everything you did reminded me of my people. You made me feel at home. I mean, even the way you fight is in line with Air Nomad values. You just disarm, you don’t actually hurt anyone. And you’re so in touch with your spirit; you’re practically more advanced than I am in that!”

Ty Lee blinked. “Really?”

“Yeah! With how you can read auras, and have been able to align and open your chakras- I only just learned about chakras in the past year. Ty Lee, you should have been born an airbender. You know this, right? It’s just because your great-grandmother’s chi was blocked so much that you aren’t. I just- I just—” Aang bit his lip, reigning himself in. “I’m the last airbender. I don’t want to be the last airbender. You can be one, you _should_ be one. You practically are one already. And I can teach you everything you don’t understand or know.”

She rubbed her forehead, wrinkling her nose. This hadn’t cleared up much yet, only the air between her and Aang. She was no closer to knowing what she wanted. “Let me sleep on it, okay? Would you join me tomorrow morning, when I do my yoga? Like, how we used to? I’ll have an answer then.”

It was obvious that this wasn’t the answer Aang wanted, but he nodded. “Okay. I can do that.”

And she smiled, because at least Aang wasn’t upset with her anymore.

* * *

Ty Lee had not expected Jet wanting time alone with her for a serious conversation. After she’d come down from the roof, Jet had pulled her off to the bedroom that had been set up as the boy’s room, and for a moment, she’d believed that he was seeking some affection.

But as she had cozied up to him on his bedroll, Jet had posed a question to her that made her pause. “Did we fight on the day of the comet? When Aang ended the war?”

Ty Lee froze on his lap, unprepared. “Um, kind of, yeah. We did fight, but only because you were- Azula was still controlling you then.”

It was hard to look him in the eye. She knew he was staring at her, trying to read her, and he probably was doing a good job of it, too.

“Did I do this?” His fingers grazed the scar on her cheek.

She nodded.

“….And did you break my leg?”

That terrible question! Ty Lee covered her face with her hands, but nodded, feeling her cheeks get warmer as she became certain that Jet was going to yell at her. He had every right to be mad. She would be furious if someone broke her leg so badly that she would need a cane to get around for the rest of her life. He was probably going to break up with her-

“Ty Lee. Look at me.” His hands were on hers, gently pulling them down, away from her eyes, but she couldn’t, not right now.

“I’m sorry!” she exploded. “I’m really so sorry, I didn’t know if would be this bad, I just- there was no other way to stop you! You had armor on, I couldn’t chi block you at all, and Katara was hurt and couldn’t freeze you to stop you, and she told me to do it, and I just thought it would be a clean break-”

She stopped as he put his fingers to her lips, effectively shocking her into silence. “Look at me, Ty Lee.”

Finally, she did, and was perplexed to see that he _was not mad_. Just…sad? Disappointed? Somehow, this was worse.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was you?” he asked. “Why hide it?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper when she answered, “I didn’t want you to hate me. I would hate me.”

“Well, I don’t. I just wished you trusted me, to tell me the truth about things,” Jet said. “You did this back up in the north pole, and then when we first arrived here; you’ve kept parts of you secret, you’ve hidden things from me.”

She bit her lip, nodding. “I know, and I’m sorry.”

Jet studied her, that same sharp gaze. “Just don’t do it again, okay? Promise?”

“Promise,” Ty Lee confirmed, and remembering what she used to do in the schoolyard when making promises, she held up her pinky. Thankfully, this seemed to be a universal gesture, for Jet raised his hand, hooking his pink in hers. She grinned, he did the same, and gave her a kiss.

“So, anything else you’re hiding from me that I should know about?” he asked, almost playfully.

“Nope,” she assured him, wrapping her arms around his middle.

Ty Lee ignored the sudden heaviness of the letter she’d received from Iroh in her pocket.

* * *

The scenery may have changed, but Azula was still in a prison.

Yes, the room was more spacious. Yes, she had an actual bed, and windows to feel the sun, and was provided with reading material to help pass the time, but it did little to ease the fact that she was, in fact, confined against her will. She had yard time, sure; but only for an hour a day, and only if she wore that torture device the guards referred to as a straitjacket.

Life was better, but marginally. It did help to have a daily routine.

Every morning, Azula greeted the day with firebending breathing exercises, knowing full well that there was no fire within her anymore to bend, but also knowing that it would not always be this way and she could not let herself get rusty. After breakfast, she practiced her bending forms, the motions feeling hollow. She refused to let that dissuade her, though Ozai would always be at her ear, speaking words only she could hear, deeming her the failure, his greatest disappointment.

If she could kill him again, she would.

Lunch would be next, and then while the sun was at its brightest, she would pour over texts that were given to her at her request. Only one scroll or tome was supplied at a time, and she would read and reread until she could nearly recite any passages of interest by memory. First were the atlases, in which she bore over the seas, where there were islands, how far between. Then came tomes on the oceans, then mythology and lore, encyclopedias on fauna of the world.

Azula knew what she had to do. Her father’s whisperings, demeaning her as the only firebending prodigy to have their bending removed; she would reverse that.

She would find that Lion Turtle the Avatar had spoken of and force it to return her bending to her. Then she would return to the capital and retake her throne.

All she was waiting for was the proper opportunity to escape.

* * *

Once again, the sunrise on the balcony was underwhelming as Ty Lee unrolled her rug, continually glancing at the door, waiting.

When she had gone to bed the night before, she was still torn on what to do; if she should take up this incredible gift Aang was offering her, or turn it down and all the weight that it came with. But when she woke up, Ty Lee knew what she was going to do.

The answer was clear.

When Aang stepped out onto the balcony, Ty Lee greeted him with the same smile she always did and sat down on her mat. He said nothing, only took a seat on the floor beside her, folding his legs into a perfect lotus pose. She mirrored him, palms resting on her knees.

“Aang?”

“Yeah?”

She took in a breath. “I’m ready to be an airbender.”


	2. Looking For Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, a reminder that this chapter went through some changes from the original version.

Jet was surprised to find, upon emerging from the ‘boys’ bedroom, to find Zuko sitting in the middle of the floor, back straight as a board, performing his breathing exercises. His eyes were shut; he didn’t react as Jet slowly made his way into the room, heading straight for one of the chairs.

“Don’t you normally do that with Ty Lee?” he asked, easing himself into the seat. While traveling from the north pole to Ba Sing Se, Jet had become accustomed to Ty Lee’s morning ritual, and had heard all about how she had forged her friendship with Zuko through it. “Or is she still sleeping?”

“She’s on the balcony,” Zuko responded without opening his eyes. “Aang is with her.”

“So that means you can’t be?”

“No. She’s talking to Aang about something, and asked for privacy.”

Jet raised an eyebrow, and leaned forward, trying to see through a window to where Ty Lee could be. “’Bout what?”

Still, Zuko had his eyes shut. “I’m sure we will find out soon enough.”

With a roll of his eyes, Jet settled back into the chair, wincing as he shifted his leg. “Fine, be cryptic about it. But, uh, do you know of any bathhouses around here?”

Zuko looked at Jet. “Looking to finally clean up your act?”

Apparently, Zuko had a lot of sass first thing in the morning. Jet was not a fan. “No, it’s my leg, it’s bugging me. I think soaking it could help.”

Before Zuko had a chance to answer, the door to the balcony slid open, and in came Aang ang Ty Lee, both grinning at each other. When she saw Jet, somehow Ty Lee’s smile grew wider and she chirped his name; it was impossible not to grin back. There was this incredible amount of joy and excitement in her eyes whenever she saw him and every time she did, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world.

“Good morning!” Ty Lee planted a kiss on his cheek as she sat down on the arm of the chair. 

Across from them, Zuko was standing up. “The talk went well, then?”

“Yup!” Aang responded enthusiastically, causing Jet to raise an eyebrow.

“Am I going to find out what this ‘talk’ was about?”

“Of course!” Ty Lee grinned at him. “But, I think—” And she looked to Aang. “—we should tell everyone the news at the same time, right?”

When Aang nodded, Jet gave Ty Lee a curious look. “The news…?” As a thought occurred to him, a smirk spread across his lips. “Are you two….getting married? That was a marriage proposal out there, right?”

“No! Jet, stop teasing!” But, she was laughing, and playfully shoved his shoulder.

“Sounds like it was as big as a proposal. Should I be concerned?”

She had a flirtatious look in her eyes to match his. “Definitely not.”

* * *

_“You’re going to be an airbender?”_

Sokka’s jaw was practically on the floor when she and Aang broke the news to everyone at breakfast. Around the table were varying expressions of shock, confusion, and excitement. Glancing at Jet, biting her lip to contain a smile, she tried to read his bewildered look. It wasn’t…an unhappy face he was making, but it wasn’t exactly happy. Just confusion.

“Why does Ty Lee get to be a bender?” Sokka continued from his original outburst. “Aang, you never asked me if I wanted to be a bender!”

Katara gently smacked the back of Sokka’s head as she sat down next to him, then offered Ty Lee and Aang a smile. “I think it’s great!”

“Yeah, you aren’t going to be an only child anymore, Twinkle-Toes!”

Zuko looked exhausted already. “Toph, that’s not how that works.”

“Eh, close enough.” Toph grinned, leaning back in her chair.

A gentle touch on her hand had Ty Lee looking to Mai, seated beside her. The corners of her lips had just barely turned upward in a barely there smile. “Congratulations,” she said, and Ty Lee felt so warm inside.

“Aang, seriously,” Sokka interjected. “You’re making Ty Lee into a bender?”

“Seriously,” Aang echoed. “We talked about it a couple nights ago, and again this morning, and Ty Lee agreed.”

“How?” Jet was staring at Aang with that same confused expression. “How can—You can just _turn_ people into benders?”

Aang nodded. “It’s kind of how I took Azula’s bending away, but the opposite. And I’m not going to just turn _anyone_ into a bender. Ty Lee should have been one. Things just got….blocked for her.”

“You remember, right?” Ty Lee asked, her eyes on Jet. “I told you about my great-grandmother and the chi blocking.”

He nodded, but still had a far off look in his eyes. “It’s just…bizarre to think about. That you have the power to make people benders.”

“It’s not like…giving something that she never had,” Aang clarified. “It’s more like…. It’s already there. The energy that is bending is there, it’s just blocked or suppressed or something. At least, I think it is.”

This was news to Ty Lee. She looked sharply at Aang. “You aren’t sure?”

“I haven’t actually tried to bend your energy yet,” he pointed out. “I won’t know for sure until I do.”

The air in the room became a lot less lively, the excitement winding down. The grin that Ty Lee had been wearing faded away. Had Aang gotten her hopes up for nothing? What if she _wasn’t_ supposed to be an airbender? What if it was just wishful thinking on Aang’s part, and she’d gotten caught up in the thrill of it all?

“Well,” Zuko spoke up, “I’m sure it’ll work out.”

Beside her, Jet leaned back in his chair, to ask Iroh a question about baths or bathhouses; Ty Lee couldn’t be certain, for at the same time, Aang addressed her.

“I could check after breakfast,” he suggested. “To see I can do it, if you want.”

Ty Lee nodded eagerly. That sounded like a very good idea.

* * *

Jet could hardly remember the last time his leg felt so good. The aches and stiffness had almost disappeared, so much that as he was leaving the bathhouse, he hardly needed to use his cane. Apparently, a good long soak in hot water was exactly what had been needed. Wherever he and Ty Lee traveled to next, there needed to be bathhouses readily available.

Then again, the Fire Nation was a volcanic region, and he’d heard that, often, there were natural hot springs near volcanos. Maybe she would want to show him her homeland.

“Jet?”

Pausing in his step, he looked over his shoulder. That voice had sounded so familiar- and then a grin broke out over his face. “Smellerbee? Longshot!”

She was running to him, through the meandering crowd with Longshot following at a slower pace, as Jet turned to face them. The force of her hug took Jet by surprise (Smellerbee had never been a particularly affectionate girl), knocking him back, and he winced as he was forced to rely on his leg to keep himself steady. He dropped his cane in the process.

Longshot, however, was quick to pick it back up, holding it out to him as Smellerbee let go, looking up at him with a wide smile.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she was saying. “How are you? How long have you been in Ba Sing Se?”

Jet thanked Longshot as he accepted his cane. “Just a few days. I’m good, real good all things considering. Why are you guys here? How long have _you_ been in the city? Last I saw you was…. You had….”

It was then that Jet knew he couldn’t remember exactly when they had parted. Poor Smellerbee only seemed to be confused, and Longhot’s face was as passive as ever, but somehow, even after all this time, and all he’d been put through, he was able to read it.

“King Kuei? Right! Right, you guys went with him; how did that go?”

Smellerbee rolled her eyes and sighed. “He needed a lot more help than he’d expected. Longshot and I stayed with him until the end of the war, when he got his throne back. Kind of ended up being his bodyguards and guides. Once Ba Sing Se was liberated, he set us up with a house here and a salary, as a thank you.”

“Wow.” Jet frowned, impressed. “That’s pretty awesome.”

Longshot gave a short nod in agreement.

“But what happened to you?” Smellerbee asked. “Where did the Avatar’s friends leave you?”

For a moment, Jet only stared at Smellerbee in confusion, until it dawned on him: they had no idea that he had ended up joining them in their fight against the Fire Nation.

“It’s…a long story.” He looked around, at the shops around them, patting his stomach. “Mind if I tell it over lunch? I could go for something to eat.”

Smellerbee nodded. “Yeah, there’s a ramen place just around the corner.”

“Lead the way.”

* * *

“So you’ll be able to tell if you can do that…energy bending?” Ty Lee asked, a little apprehensive. It had been so much easier to be excited about becoming an airbender when she had believed that Aang had already known what he was doing.

Now, this was starting to feel like a crazy experiment, and she was the test subject. It was a little less exciting, and a little more worrisome.

Aang nodded to her. They were kneeling in front of each other in the room that the boys slept in. With Jet at the bathhouse and Sokka and Suki on a sort of double-date with Zuko and Mai, the room was guaranteed to be vacant.

“Yeah, I felt Azula’s energy when I took her bending away; I had to pinpoint her bending and isolate it to take it away,” he explained. “I think I can find your bending the same way, and then unlock it.”

“Okay.” She bobbed her head slightly as she thought about it, then looked at him. “Are you going to do it now? Like, check, and then make me an airbender?”

To that, Aang let his shoulders drop. “I mean, I can, but, I don’t like the idea of us being in Ba Sing Se for this. This city, it’s so different from everything the monks ever taught me. It doesn’t feel right, for the next airbender to come into being here.”

“Where would you prefer to do this?”

“An Air Temple,” Aang said, and his aura lightened as he spoke. “It makes more sense, doesn’t it? And you’d be right where you’d need to be, to learn how to airbend.”

Ty Lee didn’t even need to consider that prospect; she was nodded before Aang had finished speaking. “I think that sounds perfect! Kind of poetic, too!”

“Exactly!” Aang grinned and shifted, starting to stand. “The Eastern Air Temple is pretty close. I was able to get there from here in just over a day by riding on Appa. We could go there right now!”

Ty Lee did not stand. Another thought had occurred to her. “Do you think that, maybe, we could go to the Western Air Temple instead?” she asked. The smile she now wore was hopeful.

“But that one is so far.” Aang sat down again, almost pouting.

“I know, but it’s where my great-grandmother is from. It would be a nice way to honor her, I think.”

Aang still didn’t seem thrilled, but he nodded, understanding. “Okay. You’re right. I’m….” He heaved a sigh. “I’m being selfish. This is just as big of a moment for you as it is for me. We’ll do it there.”

Ty Lee nodded along with him, murmuring a thank you. “Now, do you think you should do that thing to check to see if I…even am actually supposed to be a bender?”

“Right!” Aang straightened up, standing on his knees and took a few shimmying steps closer to Ty Lee, causing her to giggle a little. “Okay, hold still.”

“Should I shut my eyes?”

“I…don’t know,” Aang admitted, frowning. “Azula didn’t. I don’t know what this is going to feel like for you either. She didn’t say anything about that.”

Ty Lee bit her lip, and decided that she did, in fact, want to shut her eyes. With her eyes closed, she felt Aang place a hand to her forehead, fingertips touching her skin, and the same at her chest. For a moment, Ty Lee felt nothing, and it occurred to her that maybe…Aang wasn’t able to do what he said he could.

But then a warmth flooded through her- not a heat, exactly, but the warmth of friendship and happy memories- and suddenly, it was gone. Aang’s fingers left her skin, and she opened her eyes. He was grinning.

“I found where your bending energy is blocked.” He sat back on his heels, his aura giving off the same energy as what she had felt only a moment ago. “It’s just like your aunt said; you should have been an airbender.”

His excitement was infectious, but Ty Lee still felt something nagging at her, pulling her down. What Aang had mentioned, about Azula….

“Can I ask you a question?” Ty Lee asked, and without waiting for an answer, went straight into the question she actually had. “Have you seen Azula recently? I mean, before you came to Ba Sing Se?”

It was disappointing to see Aang shake his head, his smile fading into a solemn expression. “Not since she was moved from the prison. Why?”

“I was just…wondering how she is.”

“I didn’t really know her before…this,” Aang replied. “So I don’t know what’s normal for her. But she talked to herself a lot. She didn’t seem as together as she had been when you were on her side.”

Ty Lee tried not to show her alarming that was to hear. “What do you mean?”

“When we fought her in the Earth Kingdom, Azula was always so precise, you know? Kind of calculated? Like every part of her was intentional. But on the day of the comet, she was- she was almost scattered when I fought her. Her attacks, they were all over the place, nothing like the last time I was squared against her- like during the eclipse. She was in control then. Now it’s like…. It’s like she isn’t in control anymore.”

The wooden floorboards had become so interesting all of the sudden, Ty Lee’s eyes focused on them, her fingers tracing the grooves in the wood. Azula had gotten worse without her. Zuko had told her some, back in the Fire Nation palace, how it seemed as if his sister had lost her mind. Aang’s story only supported that, and even worse, it seemed that the event that had caused it to happen was when Ty Lee had left her.

“She did calm down once her bending was gone,” Aang added. “When she was moved to a new prison, she didn’t seem as bad as she had been. And the new prison is much nicer; I’m sure she’s happier there.”

“Do you really care about her happiness?” Ty Lee asked before she could stop herself.

“In a way,” he replied honestly. “Azula did a lot of evil things, and she’s going to be imprisoned for the rest of her life, but I don’t wish her to suffer during it.”

Ty Lee nodded as Aang spoke. Azula _had_ done a great number of terrible things. She knew her crimes, of what she had done to Jet and Mai, to Toph, to Aang, to Zuko; she knew of how Azula had planned to do awful things to her as well. The once Fire Lord had become a monster.

But she hadn’t always been. Ty Lee would never forget how Azula had stood up for her when they were young, the sweet moments they had shared when it was just the two of them. Azula could be mean, had often been mean, but she could also be _nice_. Maybe Ty Lee was just among the lucky few who had ever known that.

“You’re a good friend.”

Ty Lee looked up at Aang. “Thanks,” she said quietly. It was nice to hear, even if she wasn’t certain how true that statement was. If she’d been a better friend, maybe Azula wouldn’t have gone down the path she had.

But it was too late for that. What had happened, happened. There was no changing it.

* * *

The days were blending together. Had been for some time. But today was slightly different.

As Azula stared past the bars on her window, out over the sea and to the horizon beyond, she could see the dark clouds gathering of a storm. She’d known it was coming; the sky had held a deep scarlet at sunrise, the mark of ill weather. There had been low rumbles of far off thunder for the past hour; it was approaching fast.

She ran her hand along the old stone of her walls, the edge of her window and where the bars were fitted into. The steel bars were strong; the stone and mortar were less so. The building was so old; clearly, her silly old uncle had worried more about the _location_ of her prison, and less about the building she would be contained in. Old buildings were known to fall apart so easily.

The bars would hold; the stone would crumble. She only needed a cover for the noise, and the approaching storm would provide that. It was the perfect timing, truly. She’d heard the gossip of the guards, that her brother and uncle were away, far off in the Earth Kingdom. Word of her escape would be slow to reach them, and while a search would be underway before they were alerted, Azula knew she could outsmart anyone who might seek to track her.

The timing was perfect. She simply had not learned what she needed to, first. The scrolls and tomes brought to her all lacked the vital information she desired: how to find a Lion Turtle. She could escape, but once she did, she would learn nothing more. It was not as if she could stroll into the royal library in Caldera anymore or speak to the Fire Sages on the matter. She would be a fugitive, her face would surely be plastered on wanted posters across the islands. It was imperative that she knew where to go _before_ escaping.

If only the useless workers would bring her the texts she asked for.

‘ _Foolish daughter.’_

Azula’s eyes narrowed as her father’s voice filled her head, and she kept her eyes locked straight ahead, at the coming storm instead of glancing to her left, where he always stood when speaking to her.

‘ _You have a prime opportunity to escape, and yet you refuse to take it. And you are supposed to be the golden one.’_

Her teeth clenched. “There is no point in it if I do not have the information I need.”

_‘A chance like this will never come again. You squander it waiting on information that will never come. They are onto you. They know what you are looking for, and they will never bring you the tomes you need.’_

Though she wanted to reject her father’s words, claim him to be a liar and weak, there was truth in his words, and she was a fool to have not realized it sooner.

_‘Zuko would never let an opportunity like this pass him by; why do you think he, the failure, sits on the throne while you rot away here? He never let a chance for anything pass him by.’_

Slowly, Azula nodded. She only needed to wait for the storm to arrive.

* * *

Ty Lee hummed to herself as she sipped the tea that Prince Iroh had prepared for her. It was a struggle to remember to not call him by his title.

“You may call me Mushi, if that is easier,” he had told her. On one hand, she certainly would never call him _Prince_ Mushi, and on the other, she now had to get used to calling him a completely different name than the one she had known him as her whole life.

It would take time. At least he was rather kind about it.

After she had finished with Aang, he had decided to join Katara and Toph in a walk around the middle ring. Ty Lee declined, wanting some quiet time to sit and reflect, and take in all that was going to happen, and the downstairs of the Jasmine Dragon was the perfect place to do that. 

She was going to become an airbender. When it came time to leave Ba Sing Se, she would be traveling to the Western Air Temple, and she would become an airbender. It was exciting, and moving, and all encompassing, and she couldn’t wait to tell Jet. He would come with her, of course. It would be so great to show him this part of her history.

It all made her feel so warm and fuzzy inside. The past year might have been rough and terrible at times, but right now as she sat in the teashop and watching people on the street, everything was pretty near perfect.

She saw Jet before he noticed her, walking with his cane, but his limp was less noticeable. A small gasp escaped her lips as she stood up and nearly skipped over to him in excitement. He seemed to be in less pain that usual as he walked, and when he took note of her and gave her that small smile of his, Ty Lee was pretty certain that this was exactly how real happiness felt.

“How was the bathhouse?” she asked, standing on her toes to give him a kiss. “Did it help your knee? It looks like it did, you're walking so much easier! Oh, come sit with me, I have a table just over here.”

“It did, actually.” Jet walked with her to where she’d been sitting, easing into a chair opposite her. “Felt real good; almost good as new again.”

“You must have been soaking for ages, I’m surprised you aren’t all wrinkly like a prune,” Ty Lee teased. “You were gone for ages.”

“I ran into some old friends- thanks,” Jet explained, looking up as Iroh came over with a cup and placed it before him. “I think I told you about them before; Smellerbee and Longshot.”

Ty Lee bobbed her head up and down quickly as she poured him tea. “Yes! They’re they ones that you had originally come to Ba Sing Se with, right?”

“Right.” Jet lifted the cup to his lips, taking a sip. “They’ve been living in Ba Sing Se since it was reclaimed, got a house here in the middle ring. Doing pretty well for themselves, it seems.”

“That’s great! Are you going to see them again?”

“Actually, yeah; I’m getting lunch with them tomorrow. You’re invited too.”

“Really?” Ty Lee inched forward, sitting at the edge of her seat. “Oh my gosh, yes, I would love to meet them! This is so exciting! Are they nice? Oh, what am I saying, of course they are; they’re _your_ friends.”

That earned a chuckle from Jet. “You’ll probably get along with Longshot. He’s real quiet, like Mai; even quieter, actually.” He took another sip of tea. “Just wait until you hear what they’re doing. They’re trying to set up a home for lost kids, ones displaced by the war; they’ll teach them trade related skills, get them jobs, that sort of thing.”

“Wow,” exhaled Ty Lee. “That’s so kind of them. Do you think there’s a lot of kids like that?”

His nod was a little stiff, a little uncomfortable. “Yeah. Yeah, there’s loads. That’s who the Freedom Fighters were, Ty Lee. We were all kids who lost their homes due to the F- due to the war. That’s actually where Smellerbee and Longshot are planning on starting, with tracking down whoever they can find of the Freedom Fighters. There were quite a few young kids in the ranks- the Duke was the youngest, but not by much- and I just…. I kind of abandoned all of them when I left for Ba Sing Se.”

Jet had become fixated on the cup in his hand, rotating it around, his eyes on the amber liquid it contained. “It’s time to fix that. I shouldn’t have left them to fend for themselves. Smellerbee and Longshot are leaving for Gaipan at the end of the week, to see if any Freedom Fighters are left there. I told them I’d go with them.”

Miraculously, Ty Lee caught herself before anything but support could be read on her face. This….this directly conflicted with the plans she’d made with Aang. They were supposed to be going to the Western Air Temple. This would not work; she wasn’t going to go anywhere without Jet. She owed that much to him.

“And I was wondering if you’d come with me.” He was looking at her now, expectantly, hopeful.

She swallowed, and bit her lip. “Jet, I can’t.”

Jet sat back in his chair, one brow slightly higher than the other. “What? Why? What else could you be doing?”

It was Ty Lee’s turn to be surprised. “I’m becoming an airbender, I told you this morning,” she nearly pouted at him.

“I know that; why does that mean you can’t come with me?”

Ty Lee nearly found herself lost for words. “I—We’re going to the Western Air Temple, Aang and I, as soon as everything is done here—”

Jet let out a scoff, waving his hand. “Why do you have to go there? Can’t you just do it here?”

“ _No_.” Crossing her arms over her chest, her pout became a scowl. “This is really important.”

“And what I want isn’t?”

“I didn’t say that!”

“But you implied it,” Jet shook his head, and stood up.

Ty Lee stared up at him, eyes wide as he took a step away. “Where— where are you going?”

“For a walk,” Jet snapped over his shoulder as he stormed out of the shop, leaving Ty Lee alone at the table, her jaw slack.

What had just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr @soozenwrites for writing updates and fandom nonsense.


	3. Take Me Some Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another reminder than this chapter has been heavily changed from its original version.

Jet’s seat was noticeably empty during dinner.

Zuko had at one point asked about his absence, to which Ty Lee had given a short response, an edge to her voice, that she wasn’t his keeper so why should she know. Only Mai seemed unsurprised by her attitude. No one asked made any remarks about Jet after that, and, Ty Lee noticed, no one spoke to her either.

That didn’t do much to pick up her mood.

After dinner, Ty Lee retreated to sit on the roof of the teashop, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The night air carried a chill, and it was _stupid_ ; it was stupid that anyone would settle where it actually got cold sometimes, and it was easier to direct her frustrations at the weather. She could simply think of the nights in the Fire Nation where it was a reasonable temperature and the air wasn’t so dry, and how it was warmer there and more comfortable, and pretend she was homesick and not mad at her _stupid_ boyfriend.

A breeze came through, and Ty Lee drew the blanket in tighter, resting her forehead on her knees. She was homesick, in a way. Not for the house she grew up in or for her sisters that she lost herself among, but for just the Fire Nation in general. After the months away, helping Jet to recuperate and heal, she wanted to go back to familiar scenery.

From down below, she heard the scraping of the balcony door open, and lifted her head, peering down to the landing below. Aang had stepped out, looking around; looking for her, no doubt.

“I’m up here.”

He swiveled around and, in a couple of bounding leaps, joined her on top of the Jasmine Dragon.

“Hey.” The smile Aang greeted her with would normally be infectious, but considering her current mood, the corners of her lips remained firmly downturned. “Is everything okay?”

An obvious question with an obvious answer. She groaned, dropping her forehead to her knees again. “No.”

“…Is it to do with Jet?”

“Yes.” Her answer was slightly muffled by the blanket, but Aang was not deterred.

“What happened?”

Another groan, this one ending in almost a high pitched squeal as Ty Lee lifted her head again. “We had a fight— our _first_ fight— and he’s being a big dummy about it.”

Aang said nothing, but watched her questioningly, waiting for more.

“When we’re done here, he wants to go back to where he’s from with, um….” The names of his friends are slipping away from her, on the tip of her tongue but just out of reach. “…with his friends, and he wants me to go with him.”

“But we’re going to the—”

“I know!” Ty Lee interrupts Aang. “And I want him to come with us too, but he wouldn’t let me talk enough to tell him that. He got mad and said I thought he was stupid and walked off.” Her expression softened into a pout. “I _don’t_ think he’s stupid. He just got mad that I made other plans.”

“Hnh.” Aang propped his chin in his hand. “I wonder why he got so mad.” After a moment, however, Aang perked up. “Wait, you said he’s going somewhere with his friends? What friends?”

“Uhh…. I don’t really remember their names,” Ty Lee admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. “They were really peculiar.”

“Smellerbee and Longshot?”

“Yes!” Eyes wide, she stared at Aang. “How did you know?”

“They were with Jet the last time he was here,” Aang explained, a grin on his face. “He was in the Freedom Fighters with them— They’re going back to Gaipan Forest?”

Ty Lee nodded, more than a little surprised at how much Aang already knew. “Yeah, he said they’re going to look for the other Freedom Fighters. He made it sound like they’re going to try to find them all, I think.”

“Wow.” With a nod, Aang looked away from Ty Lee, out over the sea of roofs of Ba Sing Se.

“What?” Ty Lee inched closer, watching him closely. “What is it?” _What did he know that she didn’t?_

“I….” Aang’s face scrunched, and he sighed. “I think you need to talk to Jet about this.”

“That’s what I was _trying_ to do.”

“I know,” Aang responded gently. “But try again. Maybe once he comes back from his walk, he’ll be calmed down?”

Ty Lee slumped forward, letting her chin fall into her open palm. “Hopefully. I want to talk this out. It would mean so much if he came with us. I want him to be there when…I become an airbender.”

She’d imagined him being there, supporting her and celebrating with her. This was a momentous occasion. He needed to be there.

The question, now, was if he wanted to as well.

* * *

Jet was up before her, waiting on the balcony when she stepped out at dawn. Ty Lee paused before sliding the door shut behind her, adjusting the rug she had rolled up under her arm.

This was new territory for her. She’d never fought a boyfriend before; she’d never _had_ a boyfriend to fight before. And it wasn’t as if she actually ever argued with anyone much before. What was she supposed to say now?

Luckily, Jet spoke first as she slowly walked toward him.

“Hey.” He was standing, leaning on his cane. “Can we talk?”

With a nod, Ty Lee unrolled her rug. “You should sit.”

“I’m okay to stand.”

She shot him a short glare as she laid the rug flat. “I _know_ your leg has to be bothering you. Sit.” And, because it seemed like the right thing to say, she added, “Please.”

Though Jet rolled his eyes (to which Ty Lee’s nose scrunched, irritated), he did sit on the rug, and then Ty Lee knelt down across from him. She picked at her nails through the silence that followed.

“Hey, I, uh.” Jet cleared his throat and started again. “I’m sorry. For walking out yesterday. My, uh, emotions got the best of me.”

“Why _did_ you get so mad?” questioned Ty Lee. “I thought we had just been talking, and then you got all defensive and I couldn’t talk at all.”

“ _You_ said what I wanted to do was stupid,” Jet countered.

An offended squeak escaped her open mouth. “I did _not_.”

“Well, you implied it!”

“No, I didn’t! You just thought I did!” Ty Lee cried in defense. “You barely let me speak before you— you made all these assumptions!”

Jet let out a groan, rubbing his face, and muttered, “How are we arguing again already?”

Ty Lee almost gave a sarcastic retort, but managed to hold it in.

“Okay, let’s….try this again,” Jet said calmly. “I’m sorry. I just really want you to come with me to Gaipan.”

Still cross, but willing to listen, Ty Lee asked, “Can you tell me why?”

Jet looked down at the floor, chewing his lip, and then up at the sky. “It’s where I’m from. It’s where I started the Freedom Fighters, where everything about me began. And there’s a lot of kids out there that I owe it to, to find and bring to Ba Sing Se. I’ve got the chance to fix some mistakes I’ve made and do some good, and…. And I’d like you to be there with me.”

He shifted, bracing his arms back against the stone flooring as he once more looked at her. There was a gentleness to his gaze now that Ty Lee was not prepared for.

“And I know you said you have your…thing with Aang,” he continued. “But can’t it wait? Or why can’t you do it here?”

“Jet.” She spoke his name softly, as she pulled her thoughts together. “This is— I’m becoming an airbender. I’m going to be one of only two airbenders in the whole world. This is big, it’s really big—”

“I know,” he interjected, and Ty Lee shook her head.

“I don’t think you really do know,” she continued. “This isn’t just big for me, this is a huge deal for Aang too. He wants to do it soon, and so do I; I mean, what if we put if off for a few weeks, and before he has the chance to, something happens and Aang has to save the world again? And it keeps getting put off and put off until it never happens.”

“Then why not _here_?” Jet pushed. “If you’re so worried about waiting, just having him make you an airbender here, so that it definitely happens?”

“I’m not becoming an airbender in a teashop in the some random city!” Ty Lee protested. “This is big, remember? And Aang wants to do it at an air temple, which I think would be really nice, and my great-grandmother hailed from the Western Air Temple, so that’s where we’re doing it.”

Scoffing, Jet looked to the side. “So what, we just split up until you’re done with that? How long will it take?”

“I don’t know,” she responded with a shrug and a pout. “It’ll take time to get there, and then Aang will need to teach me some airbending moves so…two weeks?” It was a guess, purely a guess. But she couldn’t imagine it taking _long_. “But…I wanted you to be there with me too.”

A small groan from Jet, as he rubbed the side of his face. “So we both want...the same thing. In different places.”

“I guess.”

He groaned again, again chewing on his bottom lip. “….Two weeks, you said? That’s how long it’ll take?”

“I think. I don’t think it could be too much longer than that.”

“Okay.” Jet nodded, a motion that seemed more to himself than engaging with her. “How about this: we go out to the Western Air Temple, and you do all you have to, and then we come back and catch up with Smellerbee and Longshot. Sound good?”

The compromise brought for an instant reaction.

“Yes!” Ty Lee cried, and threw her arms around his neck in an enthusiastic hug. “Yes, that sounds perfect!”

She pressed a kiss to Jet’s cheek as he laughed, using one arm to hug her in return. “Anything to see you happy.”

* * *

“So…when are we actually going to celebrate?”

Ty Lee looked quickly up from her conversation with Aang, curious. It was dinner, and plans had been finalized between Aang and Jet concerning where they would be traveling to at the end of the week. Jet had been at first hesitant, but quickly came around to the idea of traveling on Appa’s back to Gaipan Forest. Without Aang, they would be traveling on foot, and Ty Lee knew he wasn’t so keen on walking so much.

But with that conversation out of the way, Toph’s voice had suddenly cut through, bringing all attention on to her. Ty Lee hadn’t a clue what she was talking about, and apparently, neither did Suki, for she asked, “What do you mean?”

Toph bit into a bun and proceeded to answer with her mouth full, “The whole reason we’re here? Sparky’s coronation!”

“I thought the nicknames might have ended when I was crowned,” Zuko grumbled from across the table.

Toph smirked. “Not likely, Sparky.”

“Toph does have a point,” Katara spoke up, and glanced at Iroh. “Is there anything planned? I know we only have a couple more days here.”

Iroh shook his head. “I suggested a party, but Zuko was very much against it.”

“I hate parties,” was Zuko’s dour response.

Ty Lee’s jaw fell open at that statement. “But parties are the best! Don’t you remember the party on Ember Island? That was so much fun!”

It was a night that Ty Lee often thought about; the party itself had been extremely enjoyable. All the boys were so friendly and flattering (if only a tad pushy, but she had been able to handle that!) and it had been so nice to see Azula as relaxed as she had been (and honestly, teaching her to flirt had _also_ been a delight). And then the campfire afterwards, when they all became greater friends. It had been a really, really great night.

Zuko shot her a glare. “I remember Mai and I fighting, and I remember getting kicked out.”

“Oh.” That part…she had sort of forgotten.

At the other end of the table, Sokka was smirking, trying hard to catch Zuko’s gaze. “You got kicked out of a party? I can’t say I’m surprised.”

Zuko was, predictably, defensive. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that you don’t seem like you’ve ever been to a party before.”

Thankfully, Aang spoke up before Zuko could attempt a snappy retort. “Why’d you get kicked out?”

“He started a fight with a guy who was talking to me,” Mai answered calmly, with the barest of smiles.

“Hitting on you,” Zuko was quick to correct, much to the group’s amusement.

Jet had snorted, grinning, as a few chuckles were heard around the table. “I would have _never_ pegged you as the jealous type,” he said, and even Ty Lee caught the sarcasm.

“Hey, I know what he was up to! He’d only invited Mai and Ty Lee to the party—”

“Right!” Ty Lee exclaimed. “Azula got you invited by telling Chan and Ruon-Jian to invite the two of you!”

The room fell silent at the princess’s name. Ty Lee shrank down as she realized just how uncomfortable the air had become around the table. Letting out a small sigh, she made a small reminder to not bring Azula up in front of the group; clearly, she was a dark spot among them.

….Which was inconvenient, because Ty Lee was rather desperate to hear anything at all about how Azula was doing. Maybe later, alone, she could ask Mai about her. They’d been childhood friends, after all. It was possible that Mai was in touch with Azula, even if it was slim.

Katara broke the awkward silence, suggesting, “Well, even if we don’t have a party, I still think it’d be a good idea for all of us to be together at least one whole night. We keep getting pulled in different directions. Maybe…a nice dinner? Some music?”

“That’s a party,” Zuko protested, but Iroh spoke over him, announcing that Katara’s idea sounded lovely. Ty Lee offered Zuko a sympathetic gaze, but honestly, what had he expected? How were they to celebrate him becoming Fire Lord without something resembling a party? Besides, parties were _fun_.

It was decided to have the Not A Party Dinner Party on the last evening they would all be in Ba Sing Se, just two days away.

* * *

Ty Lee returned from the lunch with Jet and his friends alone. Apparently, soaking his leg the previous day had provided so much relief that Jet wanted to do it at least once each day before leaving Ba Sing Se. So Ty Lee had walked with him to the bathhouse, said goodbye to him there, and returned to the upper floor of the Jasmine Dragon.

Mai was the only occupant in the main room, seated at a table, which was utterly perfect. Bouncing quickly to the table, Ty Lee sat herself down heavily across from Mai, who was carefully laying out several of her blades.

“Jet’s friends _hate_ me,” she groaned, shifting into a more comfortable kneel before letting her forehead drop onto the table.

“Careful of the knives,” Mai sighed, and Ty Lee heard her shift the placement of her weapons along the tablecloth. “Lunch didn’t go well?”

“ _No_.” Ty Lee let out a groan before picking her head up quickly. “I was nothing but nice, but, well—” She let out another aggravated groan, letting her head fall back down on the table. “Longshot and Smellerbee _hate_ me.”

“Help me with this.” Mai held her right arm out towards her, and pushed her sleeve down to her elbow, revealing the holsters for her stilettos. The holster is currently empty, the knives laid out between them. “Strange names, huh?”

Familiar with the ties and clasps, Ty Lee sat up and carefully helped remove the holster from her arm. “Jet says they made nicknames for themselves in the Freedom Fighters, like, um, like alter egos? Kind of like that one guy who helped Aang escape from that one admiral. What was his name? The Blue Ghost?”

“Blue Spirit,” Mai corrected her gently.

“Right, like him. Or her! The Blue Spirit could have been a girl!” Everyone spoke about the Blue Spirit like it was a man, but Ty Lee knew better than anyone just how skilled and dangerous women could be too. But from the smile on Mai’s lips, the amusement in her eyes, Ty Lee paused. “What? You don’t think the Blue Spirit could be a woman?”

Whatever it was about this that Mai found funny, she wasn’t about to share just yet. “I’ll tell you later.”

Ty Lee raised an eyebrow at her, only to shrug and resume undoing all the many clasps of the holster.

“Anyway, yeah, those are their names. Longshot’s a boy, and I _think_ Smellerbee is a girl? She was…she was really short with me.” Ty Lee frowned, pulling the holster off of Mai’s forearm, handing it to her. “Like, she was mad at me before we even met, or something. And I was totally nice to her!”

Mai made a thoughtful sort of grunt, extending her other arm at Ty Lee. Without being asked, Ty Lee immediately started on the next holster. “What about the boy?”

“Ugh, he was so quiet! I mean, really, really, _really_ quiet. He makes _you_ look super talkative! He didn’t even say hello to me, he just _nodded_.” Ty Lee scowled at the holster. “He didn’t say a single word, Mai. Not one word the entire meal. And Jet didn’t seem to think this was strange! And- and! Jet would talk to Longshot, and ask him questions, and then they’d just look at each other, and Jet would act as if Longshot had answered! Smellerbee too! It was so weird because it wasn’t like he’d even made an expression at all.”

“Did you ask Jet about it?”

Ty Lee shook her head. “No, he was just so excited to have me meet them, you know? But then he told them that we weren’t going to be joining them to find the other members of his group, and they wanted to know why, so I told them and they got mad. Like a quiet mad, and I think it was at me. Smellerbee only talked to Jet after that.” The frown she wore grew deeper. “I just wish they had been nicer. I really wanted to get to know Jet’s friends better.”

The second holster was removed, and as usual, the skin on Mai’s forearms was red, patchy. The constant use of the holsters always irritated her skin, despite religious use of creams at night.

“You know, you don’t need to keep wearing those every day,” Ty Lee pointed out, letting her eyes drift from the holsters that lay on the table, to the knives beside them. As usual, the temptation was there, to touch one, to test the sharpness of the blade, but she knew better. Mai was fiercely protective of her knives, and they were kept impeccably sharp. “The war is over, there isn’t really anyone to fight now.”

“Can’t be too careful,” Mai murmured, as she carefully set the holsters on the far side of the table, before drawing her whetstone and the small bowl of water closer. “Zuko isn’t an overly popular position to those outside of the Fire Nation right now, and….”

Mai sighed out her nose as she selected a knife and carefully inspected the blade. “He isn’t likely to be popular as Fire Lord back home.”

“What?” Ty Lee tilted her head slightly. “Why not?”

“Fire Lo—Prince Iroh had a talk with Zuko before the crowning ceremony. There’s a sizable amount of people still convinced that he killed Ozai. They think Azula was tricked into saying it wasn’t him.”

Ty Lee frowned, watching as Mai began to scrape her blade along the whetstone, fingers carefully, methodically pressing down as she moved the blade along in the same pattern.

“Have you seen Azula since….?” she chanced to ask.

Mai freezes, and from the way she is slightly bent over, her bangs shield her face from Ty Lee’s curious eyes. “No,” she finally said. “No, and I don’t ever want to.”

As soon as Mai finished speaking, she once more resumed sharpening her blade, and Ty Lee knew better than to push further. She had only just resigned herself to sitting quietly with her (certain that she had caused Mai to be completely finished with speaking) when Mai said one more thing.

“Don’t worry so much about Jet’s friends.” Mai never looked up as she spoke. “You’ll win them over eventually. You win everyone over.”

* * *

After everyone had retired for the night, Ty Lee and Jet crept out onto the balcony (which had very quickly become Ty Lee’s favorite part of the Jasmine Dragon) to stargaze. Well, perhaps it wasn’t creeping; that implied that what they were doing wasn’t allowed, and Iroh-Mushi hadn’t ever given them any rules to abide by while staying at the Jasmine Dragon. But it felt like it was against the house rules that didn’t actually exist, and therefor felt a bit thrilling to do so.

Jet kind of missed the thrills of breaking the rules, so he’d take this. Even if all they were doing was simply laying under the stars together.

“So you’re going to be an airbender,” Jet mused, looking to where Ty Lee lay beside him, and grinned when a smile spread across her face at what he said. That smile; it was so sweet and disarming. If there was anything he could do to keep her always with such a pleased expression, it would be done. “You’re going to be flying through the sky just like Aang soon enough.”

With a small giggle, Ty Lee rolled on her side to better face him. “Airbenders can’t fly,” she teased, and then suddenly frowned. But Jet knew that expression; that was merely her thinking face. “Can they?”

“I don’t know, but Aang seems like he can, especially with that glider of his.”

“Do you think I’ll get a glider?”

Jet shrugged. “I don’t see why not. Though, you’ll need to find someone to make you one. I think Aang knows someone; I’m pretty sure the glider he has now isn’t the one he had when I met him.”

“My aunt has one. It’s my great grandmother’s.” Another frown, one Jet couldn’t quite place.

“Think she won’t let you take it?”

That earned a swift shake of her head. “No, no, Aunt Ya would definitely let me have it.”

“Well then.” And Jet leaned closer, pressing his lips to her forehead. “We’ll just have to go pay your aunt a visit and ask her for it, that’s all.”

“Right.”

But when Jet kissed her again, she was somewhat stiff, a hesitancy in her response. Pulling back, he looked down at her in an attempt to read her. “What is it?”

Ty Lee took in a breath, looking from him to the night sky, and back again. “Jet, I have to tell you something.”

And the look on her face was so uncomfortable that Jet couldn’t help the slight panic that ran through him. Was she about to break up with him? Swallowing, in an attempt to keep his cool, he nodded. “What is it? You can tell me anything.”

And again, Ty Lee hesitated, before blurting out, “I’m nervous about becoming a bender.”

It all came out fast, nearly in one word. As soon as Jet can decipher what she said, he exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Is that all? I thought— man….”

And he took her hand, so much smaller than his own, but just as calloused (and there was a strange comfort in that, that though he knew Ty Lee had been born into privilege, that there was evidence of hard work on her hands), and squeezed it. “I think it’s pretty normal that you’d be nervous. It’s a big decision— you were the one that kept reminding me of that this morning. But you’re going to do just fine.”

When he kissed her hand, that same smile returned to her lips. “Thanks.”

“It’s what I’m here for.”

Silence settled between them just as easily as Ty Lee shifted to settle in against his chest. Jet draped his arm around her, sliding his other under his head as a makeshift pillow. He could get used to this, and he would be lying to say he wasn’t eager to get on the road if only to be able to spend every night with Ty Lee tucked up against him.

“Jet?”

“Hm?”

Her fingers toyed with the fabric of his shirt. “You were really relieved when I said I was nervous about becoming a bender. What did you think I was going to say?”

“Oh.” And he let out a short laugh. “I thought you might be about to break up with me.”

“ _What_?” Ty Lee jolted upright, staring down at him with wide eyes, which only caused him to laugh again. “You thought I was going to—I wouldn’t do that! _Why?”_

“I don’t know, I couldn’t figure out what else you’d be so nervous to talk to me about,” Jet laughed, tugging gently on her arm, missing the warmth of her body against his.

“I wouldn’t do that, you know that, right?” The serious look in Ty Lee’s eyes and tone in her voice was almost jarring; Jet couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her this way. “After everything— You know I wouldn’t—”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Jet eased into a sitting position, resting his hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t mean anything by that. You’ve been nothing but the perfect girlfriend, okay? You don’t need to worry. You get me?”

Her shoulders relaxed, and she nodded. “I do.”

He was only satisfied that she understood when she smiled again.

* * *

The dinner portion of the Not a Party Dinner Party had long since been finished, and everyone was talking in small groups, scattered around the tea shop. Iroh had closed the shop for the evening, to allow for as much space and privacy as possible. And, while Ty Lee would normally find herself deep within conversation with others, or being fawned over, she had taken to standing along against a wall, watching the room.

It was still strange at times, to look at everyone, and see them all as friends; and all friends _together_. From Mai and Katara deep in a game of pai sho with Aang and Zuko peering over their shoulders, to Jet casually chatting with Iroh, Sokka and Toph. A year ago, Ty Lee would never have imagined that she would be in Ba Sing Se, with people from all over the world who were among her closest friends.

A year ago, she hadn’t even thought she’d see Mai again, after running away from home.

“Got a lot on your mind?”

Suki had sided up against the wall beside her, a cup of tea in each hand, one held out for Ty Lee. She accepted the drink with a small thanks and shook her head.

“It’s nothing.” And then, to distract Suki from the obvious lie, she asked, “So how are things with you and Sokka, now that everything has calmed down, I mean?”

“Pretty good,” Suki said with a shrug. “It’s nice to actually have some time with him. It isn’t going to be that way for too much longer.” And she pouted, staring across the room at Sokka, who had said something to make Jet and Toph howl with laughter (though he did not seem too happy about that).

“Oh?” Ty Lee sipped from her tea, watching Suki over the rim of her cup.

“When we leave, I’ll be going to the Fire Nation with the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors, and Sokka’s going back to the South Pole. I mean, we’ll be traveling part of the way together- Zuko offered them passage to a port near the Hei Bai Forest, but then we’ll be apart again. Who knows how long this time?”

“I’m sure it won’t be for _too_ long,” Ty Lee offered. “Sokka is _crazy_ about you. I bet he will use any excuse he can to come visit the Fire Nation so that he can see you.”

Suki tore her eyes away from her boyfriend to smile appreciatively at Ty Lee. “You really think so?”

“Um, _yes_! Every time he sees you after you spend five minutes apart, it’s like he’s seeing you for the first time in ages. It’s _so cute_!”

“I guess you’re right.” Suki held her teacup to her lips, but didn’t sip, only smiled. “But how are things going with you and Jet?”

Ty Lee glanced over at Jet, seated beside Toph with the most charming of grins on his face; it was infectious, that smile.

“Great!” she grinned at Suki. “It’s been really nice seeing him around other people, you know?”

Judging by the quizzical look Suki gave her, the Kyoshi Warrior did _not_ know what she was talking about. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, look at him!” She sighed happily. “When we first met, I didn’t even know he was with Aang or Katara or anyone else. It was just the two of us hanging out all the time. And then in the North Pole, I could only see him if I snuck into the healing hut, so it was just us again. But now, here, he’s surrounded by friends. I like seeing him happy with others.”

“That’s really sweet.” Suki drank from her tea. “Do you know what you’re going to do after you go to the air temple?”

“Oh yeah, we’re going to go to Jet’s hometown.”

“Really? To live?”

Ty Lee blinked at the question. Was Suki asking if they were settling down together? “Um, no, I don’t think so,” she stammered through her answer. “Jet is going to be setting up a school, I think? With some of his Freedom Fighters, for his Freedom Fighters, and we’re going to try to find them.”

Suki was relentless. “…And you’re going to be staying with him? Helping with the school?”

“Oh.” Nose wrinkled slightly, Ty Lee considered the question. “Um, I hadn’t really thought that far ahead. Maybe?”

Suki nodded, her eyes on her sharp like a firehawk’s. “Well, if you wanted to do something else, the Kyoshi Warriors are always accepting new recruits.”

Ty Lee blinked. “You want me to join the Kyoshi Warriors?”

“I think you’d be a good fit,” Suki clarified. “And I think you could help to teach the rest of the girls how to chi block. If you’re interested, of course.”

“I’ll, um, I’ll have to think about it,” Ty Lee swallowed. “But thank you!”

“Don’t worry about a fast decision. You’ll know where to find me whenever you make up your mind.” And Suki pat her shoulder before excusing herself to go interrupt her boyfriend from what now appeared to be a heated discussion with Toph.

Thankful to have a moment to herself, Ty Lee took a slow drink of her tea, trying to digest exactly what Suki had offered her.

* * *

The party had wind down as the hour grew late, and nearly everyone was yawning, ready to turn in for the evening. While everyone was bidding each other goodnight, Ty Lee ducked out onto the balcony. It had been overall a pleasant night, but the night air and the quiet of the sleeping city were calling. She shivered slightly when the coolness of the air hit her— why would anyone ever willingly choose to live somewhere that got cold? — and considered turning back in to grab a shawl or the blanket from her bed when she realized that she was not alone.

“Ty Lee.” Iroh smiled warmly from where he stood in the center of the balcony. “Looking for a bit of quiet?”

She nodded. “I don’t mean to interrupt you,” she said, not taking a step further. “I can go back inside, if you wanted to be alone.”

His smile never faded. “Oh no, please. I wouldn’t mind the company at all.”

And because he was royalty and Ty Lee did not know him well enough to decline, she walked out near to where he stood. She said nothing, knowing that remaining silent could often be the best decision.

Never in her life had she been alone with Iroh- Prince Iroh, General Iroh, the Dragon of the West, and now (or again?) Mushi- and not knowing exactly what to expect made her hesitant. Sure, he’d been there for meals, and he’d been kind while serving her and Jet their tea, and on literally every occasion she’d been around him he had been nothing but kind.

But he was still royalty. And if there was ever a family trait among the royal family, it was their temper.

“The stars are beautiful, hm?”

Ty Lee looked quickly to Iroh when he spoke, then followed his gaze upward. The sky was clear, allowing for a hundred thousand stars to be seen.

“They are,” she replied honestly, quietly.

“You know, I’ve been meaning to speak with you for some time,” Iroh says, and even when she looks at him in surprise, his eyes remain turned towards the sky. “Zuko told me how you came to him before the eclipse and asked for his help.”

“He did?” Ty Lee tried not to imagine exactly the sort of picture Zuko might have painted of her, sobbing on the floor of Mai’s house, begging him to help her in ways she wasn’t even sure how.

Iroh looks at her and nods his head once. “He said it was you who helped him come to the decision to help the young Avatar. Said he’d been considering it for a little while, but it was your request for help that convinced him to do so.”

“Me?” Hands pressed to her chest, Ty Lee stared at the former Fire Lord, shocked. “He really said that?”

“He did. You are a very brave young woman, and I feel fortunate that my nephew counts you among his friends.”

Warmth quickly flooded her cheeks. Smiling as she blushed, Ty Lee thanked Iroh. “I—I wouldn’t say I’m that brave, I was just scared for Jet, and Zuko was the only one I thought might understand.”

“It could not have been an easy decision to turn against Azula.”

The floor suddenly became much more interesting than anything else; Ty Lee quickly turned her gaze downward, biting her lip. She could understand why Iroh thought that was what happened, that in that moment, of her asking Zuko for help to keep Jet safe, that she had turned her back on the princess. It certainly hadn’t happened then.

She couldn’t say if it had happened at all.

“Um, you know, I think—I’m a little cold,” Ty Lee said, putting on a bright smile as she lifted her head back up to look at Iroh. “I think I’m going to go back inside, but thank you, for what you said.”

And then because the nerves had taken hold of her again, and it was so much easier to pay higher respect than was still needed, she bowed to Iroh before making a quick getaway back inside. Heart beating rapidly, stupidly so, she shut the door behind her. The upper room was almost vacant now, everyone apparently dispersed to bedrooms except for Jet.

“You okay?” he asked, eyebrow raised as he stepped over to her. “You look like you saw a ghost.”

“No, no I’m fine!” And again, she plastered that same smile, shoving her nerves deep down, and bounced over to Jet. “Did you have fun tonight?”

His arm slid easily around her, hand resting at her waist, as he leaned in to give her a small peck. “You know, I really did. It’s been great to see everyone again— and at the same time.”

Warmth spread through her as she walked with Jet. “You looked like you were having fun! It’s a shame we have to leave tomorrow.”

“I know, but it isn’t like we won’t regroup again,” he responded easily. “I foresee many get-togethers in our future.”

Jet sank down into one of the sofas, pulling Ty Lee down beside him; she let him, snuggling in close with an arm draped across his middle as he let his own rest around her shoulders. “Maybe the next one will be in the Fire Nation, in Zuko’s big fancy palace,” he continued, grinning down at her.

Willing her heartrate to stay calm and steady, Ty Lee sat up slightly, trying to appear casual. “You’d be willing to go to the Fire Nation? You…don’t like the Fire Nation.”

“Considering _you_ are from the Fire Nation, I think I can learn to like the place,” he pointed out. “Besides, from what I did see…. It wasn’t too bad. Kind of pretty, at least, as pretty as a country that is hotter than necessary can be.”

Ty Lee rolled her eyes and giggled. “It’s not too hot, it’s perfect.” She let out a small sigh and let her head rest against his shoulder again.

“What’s that sigh about? Getting homesick on me?”

“Kind of?” she responded with a wrinkle of her nose. “I miss the heat…and the food. I _really_ miss the food.”

Jet made a small sort of clicking noise with his tongue and lifted his hand from her shoulders to idly play with her bangs instead, brushing them further off her face. “Tell you what. After we leave Gaipan, and after you become an airbender, we’ll go to the Fire Nation together, and you can introduce me to _all_ of your favorite foods, okay? Maybe take me to your hometown, show me around?”

She hadn’t meant to go as stiff as she had at Jet’s suggestion. But the thought of Jet actually going to the Fire Nation, making plans for the near future to do so….

The letter from Iroh was still among her belongings. There hadn’t yet been the right moment to give it to him.

“What’s wrong?” Jet shifted away, tilting his head to get a better look at her, and she quickly put on her best cheerful smile.

“Nothing!” The lie came so easily, _stupidly_ so. She should tell him, she should tell him now. Get it over and done with. But.... “No, I just—I’m not—I don’t really want to go back home. I’m not really keen on running into my family just yet, that’s all.”

It was not an entire lie. Seeing her parents or her sisters was not exactly high on Ty Lee’s to-do list. That just wasn’t the most pressing reason to stay far away from the Fire Nation.

“Okay.” Jet nodded down at her, not even pressing for more information, and Ty Lee was simultaneously grateful for how accepting Jet was of everything to do with her, and guilt ridden that she’d lied, once again, to her boyfriend.

And every time, it had been about going to the Fire Nation.

One day, she was going to have to tell him. She was going to have to give him the letter and break the news to him. Now just wasn’t the right time.

….But when _was_ the right time to tell your boyfriend that he’d killed a Fire Lord?

* * *

The mood after breakfast was almost melancholy. Perhaps it mostly came from Aang, who was not exactly pleased with the idea of leaving Katara behind, or maybe Ty Lee, who seemed near devastated to be parting ways with Mai, but between the two of them, the mood had spread around the table.

Afterward, with all their belongings packed up and strapped to their backs, goodbyes were said just outside of the Jasmine Dragon. Jet had already said goodbye as much as he felt was needed; a wave to everyone (and an unexpected hug from Katara and a not so unexpected punch from Toph) and he was all set. Aang and Ty Lee, on the other hand…

Aang was lost in conversation with Katara, holding both of her hands and standing much too close together for it to be a wholly platonic farewell. Jet made a mental note to ask him about that later, but was distracted by a sharp cry from Ty Lee, who had her arms wrapped tightly around Mai. Judging by the slight scowl on her face, the Fire Lord’s girlfriend was less than pleased by the contact, and yet, was doing absolutely nothing to make the hug come to a swift end.

“I’m going to miss you!” Ty Lee was saying. “I’ll visit you when I can, I promise!”

But Jet didn’t get the opportunity to hear Mai’s response, for Zuko came to stand beside him, and cleared his throat.

“You guys going to be okay?” he questioned, glancing around at Ty Lee and Aang saying goodbye to the others.

Jet raised an eyebrow at Zuko, shifting to face him better. “We’ll be fine. You worried about us?”

“Not exactly.” Zuko held his gaze steady for a moment, and Jet followed his gaze to Ty Lee.

“You’re worried about her?” he questioned. “Weren’t you the one telling me that Ty Lee is some super human warrior?”

The sigh Zuko let out sounded tired. “I never said that. Not that she probably isn’t, but…” He frowned. “She _is_ Fire Nation. And that could bring trouble.” Zuko met Jet’s eyes. “Not that I need to tell you that.”

“You know my Fire Nation hating days are behind me,” he replied easily. “But yeah, I get you. I don’t think we’ll run into anything because of that. Aang’s going to be with us; who’s going to question the validity of anyone traveling with him? And besides, Ty Lee doesn’t _look_ Fire Nation.”

“Air Nomad blood must run strong in her family. I haven’t met her sisters to know for certain, but…I imagine they all look alike.”

Jet peered down at Zuko.

“…Was that a joke? Did you just make a joke?” As the scowl he knew Zuko for settled familiarly on his face, Jet playfully jabbed at him with his elbow. “Since when did you get a sense of humor?”

“Shut up,” Zuko grumbled, but Jet knew better than to take his tone seriously.

Still, he grinned as he said, “Well, I’m sure I’ll meet them at some point. Though, Ty Lee didn’t sound too eager to get in touch with her family anytime soon, so there’s that. Shame; I wouldn’t mind seeing where she grew up, what a life of luxury looks like. I can only imagine….”

Strange to see a frown on Zuko’s face at that. Jet cocked his head slightly. “What, did Ty Lee not actually grow up with money?”

“No, she did,” Zuko answered slowly, confusion knotted tightly in his brow. “But you’re…planning on coming…to visit her family?”

Another arched eyebrow at the Fire Lord. “At some point, I figure I’ll have to, since I’m seeing Ty Lee. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Jet, you know you can—”

“Jet!” Aang, apparently done with goodbyes as well, was gesturing for him to start moving. “We should get going. Ty Lee, you too!”

“I’ll be right there,” Jet called back, and looked to Zuko once more, who seemed distracted by Ty Lee, who still had her arms locked around Mai.

“Are you going to separate them, or should I?” the Fire Lord asked.

Jet snorted. “I don’t think I could if I tried.” And then, before he could ask about what Zuko had been going to say, Zuko walked away, towards the two girls.

It probably wasn’t important anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr @soozenwrites for writing updates and fandom nonsense.


	4. Don't Know if I'm Scared of Dying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to HowILearnedToLoveTheBomb for some assistance with this chapter! Please go read her works and give her some much deserved love.

The journey from Ba Sing Se to the Western Air Temple took several days, and when they finally reached the sea to pass from the Earth Kingdom to the islands of mountainous cliffs where the temple was nestled in, Ty Lee was nearly bursting with excitement. The last time she had been at the air temple, her connection to this place had not yet been established. Her Air Nomad lineage had only been vaguely called into question before they’d had to rapidly leave, and she was eager to see this part of her family history with a fresh perspective.

Which halls had her great-grandmother run through? Had one of the rooms been her own? Would she possibly find something had belonged to her, tucked away in a cupboard somewhere?

The last time they had been to the air temple, Ty Lee had not joined Haru or Teo or the Duke in their constant exploration of the space. This time, she was going to meander the halls and bridges and find all that she could.

Aang sat upon Appa’s head as always, holding the reins as he guided them down between the cliffs. Jet was at Ty Lee’s side, as she leaned over the edge of the saddle, trying to peer through the mists and fog, eager to catch a glimpse of the elaborate, almost upside-down architecture. His hand on her hip, Jet had a firm grip on her, and Ty Lee couldn’t be certain if he was worried she would fall off, or if it was merely him anchoring himself as he looked out with her.

“We’re almost there, right?” Ty Lee called out to Aang.

“Oh yeah! We should be able to see it any second now!”

The hand resting on her hip gave a gentle squeeze, and Ty Lee looked over at Jet, who was watching her in somewhat amusement. “You seem excited.”

“I am!” she beamed, focus shifting from their surroundings to her boyfriend and his all too charming smile. “I can’t wait to see it again— and for you to see it too! The temple is _incredible_ —”

Aang’s voice came ringing back to them. “We’re here—oh.”

Ty Lee whipped her head around, not entirely registering Jet’s sputtered surprise when her braid struck him across the face. The eager smile she wore faded as the air temple came into view.

It was in shambles. Bridges and walkways that had connected buildings and platforms had fallen away; there were entire towers missing. The main open area that they had congregated in, back when Ty Lee had first joined Aang and his friends, was gone. There was no mystery to what had happened at all, and Ty Lee chided herself for allowing herself to forget Azula’s attack that had led to them fleeing to Ember Island.

She and Aang were silent as they glided past the temple. Jet, however, spoke. “ _This_ is where you guys stayed? It looks like it’s going to fall off the cliff at any second.”

Shooting Jet a glare, Ty Lee elbowed him in his ribs.

“Azula did this,” Aang responded solemnly from the front.

“It had been intact when we were last here,” Ty Lee explained. “It was all connected, and really…really pretty.”

And now, it was almost all gone. How would they be able to explore it now? How much of it and all the history it held was lost? How—

“Are we going up?” She looked around, as she suddenly realized they were leaving the temple ruins below. “Why are we going up?”

“We can’t land there,” Aang responded, his tone harsh, harsher than Ty Lee was certain she had ever heard it. “I’m going to check to see what’s stable, see if we can….”

Appa was landed on top of the cliffs, not far from where, months and months ago, Ty Lee had arrived with Zuko via war balloon. Jet and Ty Lee remained in the saddle while Aang flew down on his glider, to survey the damage.

“This is so bad,” Ty Lee murmured, chin in hand as she leaned against the edge of the saddle. “I should have realized from Azula’s attack that this would have happened….”

Jet was beside her, his back to the rim of the saddle. “What exactly did she do?”

“Shot rockets at the temple. We were all holed up here, and I guess she tracked Zuko and Sokka back here.” She let out a long sigh. “She fought Zuko and I…. You were there. She made you fight me.”

Jet made a sort of sympathetic noise, and placed a hand to her back. “You don’t need to worry about her anymore.”

“Huh?” She looked quickly to Jet, an eyebrow raised. “What?”

“She’s locked away,” he assured her. “You told me that right?... Someone did, anyway. The princess is locked away and you don’t have to worry about running into her again. You’re safe.”

Ty Lee locked her expression in place, neutral as Jet pressed a kiss to her cheek, it becoming second nature to hide her thoughts on Azula.

“You okay?”

She put on a small smile. “Yeah. I’m just a little sad, I guess. I wanted you to see this place the way I had. And… I wanted to see what I could find that maybe belonged to my great-grandmother.”

“There’s still buildings down there,” Jet pointed out. “I’m sure there’s something left there you can find.”

“Maybe.”

Ty Lee turned around, settling back against the saddle just as Jet was, and waited for Aang to return.

This was not going to plan.

Aang reappeared not long after. One of the buildings below, far from where they had stayed when they had last been at the temple, was still in good shape; however, it was cut off from all others. The bridges and walkways that had once connected it to the rest of the temple had all broken off, falling into the mist below. But it had a balcony, one large enough for Appa to rest on, and that was very important.

The building had, at one point, appeared to have been a dormitory. Their first venture down a long hall leading off from a large open room reveled dozens of smaller rooms, each housing only a bed and a wardrobe. Just as the area they had been at before, before the end of the war, there were vines creeping in through the windows, and moss growing in around the corners and up the walls.

“This place must have really been something,” Jet breathed as they wandered back into the main room. The floor they walked on was beautifully tiled into intricate patterns, colors swirling about. Were the floor not covered in dust and debris, it probably would have been breath-taking.

Aang came to a stop, shoulders sagging. “It was.”

Ty Lee paused, spinning on her toes to look at him. “Are you okay?”

She already knew the answer. His aura told her everything. But she had long learned it was polite to ask, and not simply assume they wanted to talk about it.

Aang was tense, his grip on his glider strong, tight; his knuckles were nearly white as he exhaled slowly through his nose. “It’s all… It’s all being destroyed, or forgotten. Everything that belonged to the Air Nomads. This temple had been untouched until a few months ago, and now it’s barely standing.”

Ty Lee frowned, and Jet stepped forward, putting a hand on Aang’s shoulder. “The Fire Nation isn’t destroying anything anymore. And besides; this is the Western Temple right? There’s still three others.”

“Two?”

“Huh?”

“There’s only two left,” Aang repeated, looking up at Jet. “The Northern Temple is destroyed.”

“Oh no,” Ty Lee exhaled.

“It isn’t going to get fixed, or rebuilt. And neither is this one.” Aang’s gaze turned downward to the floor. “I’m the only one left.”

Ty Lee exchanged a look with Jet, and somehow, thankfully, Jet once again was the one to speak up, because Ty Lee could never figure hope to know what to say.

“That’s what we’re here for, right? Ty Lee’s going to be an airbender.”

Right. Right! “Yeah!” Ty Lee chirped. “It’s not just you, it’s going to be me, too.”

Aang nodded, but Ty Lee could see: their words provided them little comfort.

“I think I need some time alone,” he said, and walked off down the hall before either could say anything more.

Ty Lee watched him go, and let out a low sigh. “He’s really sad about this.”

“Of course he is.” Jet slid his arm around her shoulders. “It’s hard losing everything you’ve ever had.”

With a frown, she looked up at him. “You say that like you have. Have you?” When Jet nodded, she asked, “Has everyone?”

Jet let out a small snort in amusement. “No, not everyone. But enough. Not like Aang though.” He grunted slightly, pulling his arm from her shoulders. “Mind if we sit down? Knee’s bugging me.”

“Oh! Oh, sure, um…” Ty Lee whirled around. “Oh, there’s a bench over there!”

As they walked to the bench, Jet continued speaking. “I have an…idea of how Aang might feel.”

“Really?” Ty Lee blinked in surprise at Jet as he sat down on the bench, and he nodded.

“When I was small, Fire Nation soldiers destroyed my village. Everyone— absolutely everyone—was killed. I was the only one that survived.” He rubbed his temple, brows knit tightly, an expression Ty Lee knew too well; one he only wore when he was struggling to come up with details, to retrieve the memories. “It’s all a little fuzzy, but um…. I lost everyone, everything. I had no home to return to, no one to rely on.”

Her hand found his, and she gently held it. “I’m so sorry.” It came out as a whisper.

The smirk he gave her was not his usual playful one, did not reach his eyes. “It’s not your fault. And, anyway, my story isn’t unique. It happened to a lot of other kids too, in one way or another. That’s how the Freedom Fighters came to be. A whole bunch of kids hurt by the Fire Nation who needed someplace to stay, someone to depend upon.”

“How old were you?” Ty Lee asked. “When you found the Freedom Fighters?”

That question made his lips curl up even more, and that amused twinkle in his eye returned. “I was the one who formed the Freedom Fighters, Ty,” Jet replied, pride in his voice. “Officially, probably when I was thirteen, but I’d been running with Longshot for years before that.”

And, as Ty Lee watched, his eyes became distant, staring out across the room, but not really seeing. “I miss those kids. I…. I shouldn’t have left them the way I did.”

She shifted on the bench, never letting go of his hand, and opened her mouth to ask about that, about what he meant, when Jet held up a hand, stopping her from speaking. “I— I’m not—That’s not something I’m going to talk about. But, um, I am eager to get back, and help Longshot and Smellerbee track down those kids.”

Ty Lee put on a sympathetic smile, and laid her head on his shoulder. “We’ll be back soon. Aang just needs to give me my bending, teach me some basics, and then we will be on our way back.”

“Yeah.” Her smile widened when he pressed his lips to the top of her head. “You’re right.”

* * *

They decided, collectively, that it would be the best to wait until the next morning for Ty lee to be given her airbending. The mood was not right at all; Jet was still rather distant and mopey, and Aang was in such a bogged down state that Ty Lee was worried the overcast feel of his aura was going to overwhelm the rest of them. She couldn’t’ be certain, but she wanted to believe that her aura was still at least a _little_ pink.

Though there were many rooms to choose from to sleep in, they decided it was best to make camp just inside the main room, where they could have a fire built. And, as they had every other night as they had traveled to the temple, the three of them fumbled through putting together a meal.

All three had vague notions of meal prep. Apparently, all Jet knew was how to not completely burn any game that roasted over a fire, and which fruits native to Gaipan Forest were safe to eat; it had been other members of the Freedom Fighters that had seen to feeding everyone. Aang and Ty Lee possessed the same vague knowledge of how to put a stew together from watching Katara, but it was clear that they had not picked up nearly enough tricks from her. Ty Lee had truly not realized just how crucial it was to have someone in the group who actually knew how to cook, and dearly wished Katara had decided to join them, if only to feed them. Every stew they’d attempted had been watery and bland.

More than once that night, while one again forcing down a soup that was more water than flavor, Ty Lee thought of the meals of her homeland. The sweet and tangy fruits, the hot and spicy dishes filled with peppers and properly prepared fowl and fish— not that she would ever insult the foods she ate in other nations, but the Fire Nation truly had the best food in the world.

Maybe, she thought (deciding it would be better to keep this to herself, considering both Jet and Aang were feeling rather sore things the Fire Nation had done) they could stop at one of the colonies on their way back to Ba Sing Se. She knew from personal experience that, while the food in the colonies did not hold a candle to the real thing, they still managed to get a hold of spices and fruits that were otherwise only found on the islands of the Fire Nation.

With another glance at the two surly boys, Ty Lee decided that maybe it would be best to wait until they were leaving to make that suggestion. She could wait a little longer.

* * *

The moment the palanqueen arrived at the palace, Zuko felt nothing but relief to finally be home.

While the time away and with his friends had been much appreciated, traveling was never going to be particularly enjoyable for him. Too many years spent in a ship at sea, too many nights spent staring up at a metal ceiling. Traveling by airship was much preferred to that—especially with all the comforts befitting a Fire Lord—but sleeping in his own bed was something Zuko was looking forward to.

Even if it was, in theory, his last night before returning to work. And there was plenty of work to be done. Uncle had laid the groundwork, had done what he could to prepare him for all that was to come in settling things between the other nations, in helping his people enter a new age.

But Uncle had remained in Ba Sing Se.

Zuko did his best to push those thoughts from his mind as he stepped out of the palanqueen alone. Mai had already been escorted to her parent’s house. It was enough of a scandal that she joined him in the Earth Kingdom unchaperoned; Zuko wasn’t about to test his influence as Fire Lord against her reputation, though they both knew she’d much rather spend the night at the palace with him.

The sun was low to the horizon, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange and red, and for a moment, Zuko was naïve enough to believe he could have one final quiet evening.

Among the staff who greeted him upon his return was the captain of the guard; not a good sign. Captain Yut only came to greet when there was news, and it was rarely anything good.

As expected, after the customary bows, Yut requested to speak with him, over an ‘urgent matter.’

Why couldn’t things be simple, just for once?

Zuko motioned for him to walk with him. Hopefully it wasn’t so urgent as to keep him from having dinner. “What is it?”

“Security threat, Fire Lord,” Yut said, fast and sharp. “Princess Azula has escaped from her prison.”

Zuko stopped mid-step, staring at the captain. “She what?”

“Escaped,” Yut repeated. “Almost a week past. We’ve been tracking her—”

“A _week_?” Zuko stared in disbelief, his stomach twisting in knots. “How has she not been captured—how did she _escape_?”

“According to reports, she found a weak spot in a wall, broke through it. Timed it during a storm to cover the noise, it seems. By the time anyone realized, she was long gone. She appears to have stolen a fisherman’s boat, and sailed off the island.”

Zuko swallowed, trying to take in all the information. “She sailed into a storm?”

“Yes, your Highness.”

“And you know she’s alive?”

“There have been sightings, fitting her description, throughout the smaller isles to the east. She’s making her way west it seems, to the capital.”

With a scowl, Zuko knew that dinner would have to be postponed. “Show me where she’s been.”

A few minutes later, inside the captain’s office, Yut laid flat a map of the Fire Nation archipelago. Pointing to a small speck just north of the most eastern islands, he explained, “This is where the princess was being held. She has since been seen here and here.” He marked out several of the islands, moving westward with each one. “With the speed at which she is traveling, and since her last sighting, I believe she will next be at this island, if she isn’t already there.”

Zuko stared at the island. “Then that’s where we need to go.”

“I already have men on their way,” Yut responded. “There’s only one town on that island. It’s likely she’ll be captured.”

“Have wanted posters been put up? Anything to reach out to the locals?”

Captain Yut cleared his throat, almost awkwardly. “There was some concern about alerting the common people of the princess’s escape. She is still, ah, popular in some crowds. Highlighting the fact that she is free could bring her aid.”

Right. Damn.

Eyes still scanning the map, Zuko gave further consideration. “Send a hawk to Master Piandao. I’d rather have a local with their eyes open there, and he can be trusted.”

“Of course.”

“And Captain Yut.” Zuko looked up at the man. “Send guards to Mai’s house. She is to have protection until Azula is locked away.”

A nod from the captain. “It will be done.”

* * *

The morning routine did not change for this momentous day.

Ty Lee and Aang, as usual, acted out their morning stretches and meditation in the bright morning sun while Jet took a less invigorating approach to waking up; he remained on his sleeping sack, rubbing his eyes and stretching. On occasion, Ty Lee would twist around and find him watching her, that lazy grin on his face, and then she would smile to match.

By the time they were finished, Aang’s aura was a deep calm blue, and Ty Lee knew it was time. Aang was in the perfect frame of mind, the right place to finally give her birthright to her. Everything was just so.

He instructed her to kneel facing him, as he stood before her. Several feet away, Jet remained as he had been, his eyes on them.

“Ready?” Aang asked, to which Ty Lee bobbed her head eagerly.

“Absolutely!”

“Okay.” Aang took in a deep breath. “Close your eyes.”

Ty Lee did as was she was told, and tried to remember to keep her own breathing steady; excitement and nerves were threatening to overwhelm her, and she could let all that energy out soon, but only once Aang was done. For now, that had to remain contained.

The touch of Aang’s fingers to her forehead and her sternum was firm, but gentle. For a moment, that was all she felt, and she was tempted to ask if he’d started when there came a warmth that flooded from his fingertips and washed over her; and then there was a gust of wind, also warm, but it was almost as if that air was moving _inside_ of her. And as the pressure of Aang’s touch lessened, as he pulled his hands away, Ty Lee became acutely aware of all the air that was around her; of the smallest hint of wind over her arms and behind her neck, of the air in her lungs and how it expanded to fill every part of her.

It was everyone, in everything, and _she could suddenly feel all of it_.

Her eyes flew open, wide in awe, and how intense and incredible, and all encompassing it was. She hardly noticed Aang crouching in front of her, trying to meet her eyes.

“Well?”

It was when he spoke that Ty Lee suddenly took notice of him, and she let out a short, soft laugh. “This is—this is _amazing_!” she cried, holding her arms up, as if she might see the air that she felt so strongly now, ghosting over her skin, free and wild and going wherever it pleased. “It- It’s everywhere! Air is! I mean, ah, I know we all know that, but I can—I can really feel it now! It’s amazing! Is it always this amazing? Is it always like this?”

Aang laughed and shrugged. “I guess? I’m so used to it; I thought that’s how everyone feels air.”

“Everyone _does_ feel air,” Jet spoke up, reminding Ty Lee that he was, in fact, there. He walked over to them, but did not sit. “Is it really that different?”

Ty Lee nodded rapidly. “Yes! It’s like…. Like you know how you can feel a breeze? It’s like I can feel the breeze when it isn’t moving. Because it is moving. It’s all moving, isn’t it Aang? Even the air that isn’t _is_.”

“Exactly!” Aang cheered as Jet shook his head, mumbling about ‘not getting it.’

“Are you going to try bending?”

Ty Lee glanced at Jet, then at Aang. “I mean, I don’t know how to—Ah!”

She had attempted to stand, as she normally would by rocking back onto her feet and springing upward. But, when her feet pushed off the ground, she was pushed upward higher than she had meant, unmistakably _airbending_. A squeak and a gasp came out of her as she looked rapidly from Aang to Jet.

The only thing she could do was laugh from pure excitement. _She was an airbender_.

* * *

Jet could only recall one other time that he had seen Ty Lee this happy.

Of course, he hadn’t actually known her for all that long; it had only been a couple of months since he’d gained consciousness in the North Pole, after all, and they’d only had a very short week together before that. But Jet had grown used to seeing the varying shades of Ty Lee’s smiles; the soft and sudden one when something amused her, the one when she looked at him (and he swore that her eyes lit up each time), the broad one when she was excited.

The smile she had now came from an intense form of joy, and that joy could be seen from the tips of her toes to her grin, to how animated her hands were as she spoke.

It was only comparable to the happiness and excitement that had radiated off of her that first time he’d seen her, up in the North Pole; the day he had come back to life, so to speak. And even though this time around, her enthusiasm was directed at Aang, as he showed her how to make airbending movements and her delight at having a similar reaction from the air when she repeated the motions.

She was over the moon about being a bender, and watching her exude so much joy made Jet absolutely certain that he _had_ made the right decision, to come along with her for this. Seeing Ty Lee like this had made the trip and delaying his plans very much worth it.

“Just wait,” Aang was saying. “With some training, you’ll be able to do this!”

And with a wave of his arms and a small jump, the ball of air that Jet had seen him ride on countless occasions formed just beneath Aang.

“This is a move I made on my own!” he continued proudly. “It helped me earn my airbending tattoos.”

“How did you do that?” Ty Lee questioned.

“Oh, I was just bored one day and playing around with bending, and figured it out!”

But Ty Lee shook her head. “No, show me what you did again. I want to try it.”

Aang let the ball of air disappear— and so effortlessly. Jet had never paid much attention to bending before (what was the point? He couldn’t do it, and watching those who could wasn’t going to put food in his mouth. Honing his own skills would do that). Did all bending appear so easy to do, or was it just because Aang was the Avatar?

“Are you sure?” Aang rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s kind of a more advanced move, and you only started bending a couple of minutes ago.”

“I just want to try it. Please, Aang?”

Jet nearly laughed as she turned her large eyes on Aang, pleading with them. It was no surprise when Aang caved. He demonstrated the motions again, slower this time, allowing Ty Lee to mimic him, before giving her the opportunity to try it out. The first attempt created a gust that knocked Ty Lee off her feet; it was only her acrobatic abilities that allowed her to land on her feet. The second attempt also resulted in a strong force of wind, one that didn’t hit anyone, but sent the mat Ty Lee used for her yoga flying into the wall of the building.

Jet frowned, looking at the mat as it crumpled to the ground, as Ty Lee and Aang laughed together. “Hey,” he called, turning to look at them, “I think that maybe you should—”

But even as he spoke, Ty Lee had made a third attempt, one that initially appeared successful with a ball of swirling air forming beneath Ty Lee— before it burst sending her flying back—

And over the edge of the balcony and out of sight.

For an instant, Jet could only stare at the edge of the balcony, where Ty Lee had only just been, had just been standing, and then he was running. His knee screamed at him with every step- and maybe he was screaming too, screaming her name, but he couldn’t be certain. Distantly, he saw Aang running past him, toward the building and away from the canyon where Ty Lee had fallen, and he wanted to yell that he was going the wrong way, but then Aang zipped past him again, lighter and speedier, glider in hand as he leapt over the balcony.

Both Aang and Ty Lee were out of sight by the time Jet reached the balcony rim, the fog and clouds below covering everything, but he could hear her screams, echoing upward. Gripping the rail, he leaned over, searching, heart pounding.

Her screams stopped. The seconds dragged by, and Jet can feel his stomach drop.

And then the glider bursts through the fog; clinging to Aang was Ty Lee, and Jet let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. As they touched down on the balcony again, Jet practically scrambled to get to her side, pushing Aang out of his way.

“Ty Lee! Ty Lee, are you okay?”

Tears stained her cheeks, her eyes were wet, and she was taking in short, sharp breaths; without waiting for a response, he threw his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. She was shaking as she leaned into him.

“It’s okay,” he assured her, holding her tight. “It’s okay, you’re safe. You’re safe.”

* * *

A break was taken. Ty Lee had tried to put on a brave face once she’d calmed down; rarely was she ever shaken up, and she certainly hadn’t ever been afraid for her life before, regardless of the danger. But plummeting down into the canyon, with no possibility of saving herself, she had been certain that she was going to die.

So when Jet suggested she lie down, and hadn’t even waited for her to protest before guiding her into the dormitory, she was more than a little relieved. Jet hadn’t said much, hadn’t asked her to say much either; he’d only held her while they laid together, and as her nerves settled, she drifted off to sleep.

When she awoke, the shadows in the room had shifted, but not by much; it seemed only a couple of hours might have passed. Her cheeks felt stiff from her dried tears, eyes puffy. Ty Lee was very thankful for the lack of a mirror anywhere, for she was certain only seeing her reflection would make her feel worse. With a small groan, she rubbed her cheeks and eyes, trying to loosen herself up.

“Hm, finally awake.”

She twisted up to look at Jet. He was watching her, his dark eyes almost studying her, and for a moment, all Ty Lee could think about was how lucky she was to have such a handsome boyfriend.

“Hi.”

Stretching up, she gave him a short kiss, before laying her head back down on his chest. There was security here, she decided, snuggled in close, his arm around her. Right now, it was exactly what she needed.

“Feeling any better?” he questioned, his thumb running circles over her shoulder.

“I think so.” Again, she looked up at him. “Thank you.”

“Anything for my girl.” And there was that surefire smirk that made her feel weak in the knees. “You looked like you needed to recharge. That was… That was pretty scary.”

Ty Lee turned away, settling her had back against his chest so that she might stare at the ceiling, or the wall. “Yeah.”

“At least you know to be careful now.”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded. “All basics first.”

But she wrinkled her nose at the thought. Basics were boring. Ty Lee hadn’t had to master the basics of anything in ages; she’d been able to chi-block perfectly for years, and her gymnastics and aerobatics; well, she’d been doing those since she could walk.

Being a beginner was no fun. But the thought of careening off the cliffside again was enough to keep her from attempting anything too crazy too soon.

And as she thought of learning basic forms and her teacher, Ty Lee pushed herself into an upright position and slid off the bed. “I should go find Aang,” she said, stretching up high and smiling as she felt her joints begin to open up again. “Say thank you, and all that.”

Jet followed suit, but much more slowly, grunting and grimacing as he bent his legs over the side of the bed. “You know what… You go on ahead.”

“Your knee is bugging you.” An observation, no more. “It wasn’t that bad this morning, was it?”

He shook his head. “No, but I may not have cared too much about taking care of it when I thought you were going to die.”

Her shoulders sagged, and Ty Lee took a step toward him, ready to help him stand, to help him walk, but he waved her off.

“I’ll be fine, really. Just need to take thing slow, yeah?” He flashed a grin at her. “Go thank Aang. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Okay. Um, well, just yell, if you need any help, okay?” Ty Lee suggested. At his nod of agreement, she gave him one more kiss, and then another, before leaving the dormitory.

Aang was right where she’d left him on the balcony, but meditating now. Ty Lee hesitated several feet away, not wanting to disturb him if he was doing some sort of Avatar business, but there was no need. His eyes flew open, and upon seeing her, Aang was swiftly on his feet.

“Ty Lee! Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I am, thanks. But, um, I did want to thank you. For saving me.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Aang said with a quick shake of his head. “It’s my fault that even happened.”

“What? No it isn’t.”

“Yes, it is.” Again, Aang was shaking his head, his eyes on the floor. “I knew that the airball move was far too advanced, and that you wouldn’t be able to do it. I shouldn’t have shown you how to make an airball.”

Ty Lee blinked. “But I made you show me.”

“And I shouldn’t have.”

“But I made you do it,” Ty Lee repeated. “You totally told me that it was too difficult and I pushed, and I decided to do it. It was my fault. And you saved me.”

That appeared to perk Aang up, and he nodded. “And you’re really okay?”

“I think so?” Ty Lee shrugged. “I mean, I still want to learn how to airbend. But, I guess, the right way?”

The relief that rolled over Aang was incredibly apparent. “Oh thank goodness! I was scared you’d never want to learn to airbend now!”

“What? No! I definitely want to learn!” Ty Lee assured him, stepping forward, with a hand held over her heart in earnest. “I definitely, absolutely want to learn!”

“Great! Maybe after lunch, we can start again?”

Jet’s voice carried out to them as Ty Lee nodded. “Already so eager? I thought you might need more time to recover.”

Ty Lee glanced over her shoulder. “No, I’m okay now. And we’re going to be careful, take things slow. Right Aang?”

“Right!” Aang chorused. “Lessons will resume—or is it start?”

“I think start,” Ty Lee agreed seriously.

“Lessons will start after lunch!” Aang finished with a wide grin and enthusiastic swing of his arm.

Jet nodded, finally coming to stand beside Ty Lee, leaning heavily on his cane. “Don’t you need to find a place to do the actual teaching first?”

Ty Lee and Aang shared a look of confusion, and it was Ty Lee who responded. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we don’t really know what everything is like at the bottom of the canyon. Is it rocky, is there space enough for you guys to do your lessons? I know you both are eager, but it’d be best to figure out where you’re going first.”

“Oh.” Aang glanced at Ty Lee. “I thought we would just do it here, we don’t need that much space.”

“Yeah, I think up here is just fine,” she said in agreement.

Jet looked at the both of them as if they were stupid. “Ty Lee, you just fell off that balcony this morning.”

“I know. It’s not going to happen again.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Jet,” Aang spoke up. “What I’m going to be teaching Ty Lee isn’t anything dangerous—”

“What you taught her this morning wasn’t supposed to be dangerous either,” he snapped; Ty Lee flinched back. “And she still almost died.”

“Calm down, calm down; just take a deep breath.” Ty Lee mimed an inhale, and a slow exhale. “I know you’re concerned, and I love that, Jet, but if Aang says we aren’t going to be doing anything dangerous, I trust him. It’s easier to do it here, where we’re camped.”

“Yeah, we can go over more things without having to travel,” Aang pointed out.

But Jet was shaking his head in disbelief. “Ty Lee, you almost died. Am I the only one who remembers that? You aren’t going to learn airbending where you can fall off again!”

“I’m not going to fall!”

“And even if she does,” Aang explained, “I can save her again.”

“And if you aren’t fast enough? You had to run and get your glider earlier!”

Aang shrugged. “I’ll keep it with me.”

“I’d rather if _she_ kept it with her.”

Ty Lee shook her head, fingers pressed to her temple. “I don’t know how to use the glider—”

“So Aang will teach you,” Jet responded quickly. “Your first lesson, how to use a glider.”

Aang looked exasperated. “I can’t, not without her having one of her own.”

“Okay, let’s all just pause,” Ty Lee said firmly, putting her hands up between Aang and Jet. “This arguing is not going to help anyone, and everyone’s auras are getting a little bit crazy, so let’s just pause, and take a deep breath. Okay?”

Jet merely scowled down at her. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I know, and I really, totally appreciate that. It’s sweet that you’re concerned. But Aang is the expert on airbending, right? He thinks it’s safe, right?”

Ty Lee looked over at Aang, who gave a nod.

“As long as we stick to the basics, nothing bad is going to happen.”

With that promise from Aang, Ty Lee turned back to Jet and smiled. “Okay? So we are going to practice airbending up here.”

“I still wish you had your own glider,” Jet grumbled.

“I know, but there aren’t any other gliders,” Ty Lee said gently. “It’s only Aang who has one—”

Her eyes went wide as she suddenly remembered, and she turned to Aang, a giant grin on her face. “Aunt Ya! Aunt Ya has a glider!”

“What?” Jet asked, but Ty Lee ignored him as Aang followed where her thought was going.

“We can get the glider from your aunt! Then everyone is happy!” Aang’s expression mirrored her own, until rather swiftly, it fell from his face, and he was left with only a frown. “Ty Lee, your aunt is in the Fire Nation.” His eyes flickered to Jet. “We can’t go get it.”

Oh. Oh oh _oh_. It was Ty Lee’s turn to become crestfallen. “You’re right.”

“…Why can’t we go to the Fire Nation?”

And then she froze at Jet’s question, tensing up in her shoulders, as she remembered that Jet did not know why he couldn’t go into the Fire Nation. It was futile to try to keep Aang from answering him, and instead did her best to seem as small and not there as possible.

“We can’t go because you can’t go,” Aang said, as if he were reminding Jet of something, and then frowned deeper when he received only a confused look from him. “…You do know why you can’t go to the Fire Nation, right?”

Ty Lee wanted to become invisible. Or tiny, just a speck of dust in the wind.

“I can’t- just me? Why can’t I go?”

Aang turned his eyes on Ty Lee, and she looked swiftly away, at her shoes, squashing down that horrible twisty feeling in her stomach.

“Ty Lee, you didn’t tell him?”

“Tell me what?”

“I—I couldn’t!” she sputtered, and Aang let out a frustrated groan, slapping his forehead.

“Iroh sent you that letter _ages_ ago, you were supposed to tell him!”

“What, guys. Tell me what?”

“ _You_ find the time to have that conversation!” Ty Lee snapped back.

A hand landed on her shoulder, and she nearly shot straight up in the air from surprise; would have, certainly, if Jet’s grip on her hadn’t been so tight.

“Ty Lee,” Jet said slowly, but there was no doubting the edge in his voice, “what were you supposed to tell me?”

The inexplicable urge to chi block Jet and run away came on strong, and it took all of her willpower not to simply do that. Ty Lee swallowed, glanced at Aang, looked back at Jet, and took a deep breath.

“Because you’re kind of, um, wanted for killing the former Fire Lord?”

Whatever Jet had been expecting to hear, that certainly had not been it. He stared at her, and opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out.

“Azula claimed it was you who did it,” Aang supplied, as if more information right now was actually needed. “When she had you brainwashed.”

“I…I killed the Fire Lord?”

“That’s what Azula said.”

Jet stood still. He rubbed his face with the hand that was not using the cane, and said, “I need to sit down.”

Ty Lee moved to take his arm to help him to the benches inside— she’d seen how heavily he’d been leaning on his cane, and she’d seen how it was infinitely easier for him to stand up again from a bench or a chair than from the ground— but Jet pulled away, only going so far as to the outer wall of the building to lean against it. Head tilted back, Jet shut his eyes, and Ty Lee exchanged a look with Aang.

 _Was he okay_?

Ty Lee certainly didn’t know. She’d never seen Jet like this. The closest she could think of was back in the North Pole, when she revealed to him her connection to Azula. When that had happened, she had given him several days before seeing him again.

They couldn’t do the same now.

“I killed the Fire Lord,” Jet said again, his eyes still shut. “…When?”

“Um…” Ty Lee again looked at Aang. “Ozai was killed sometime after the eclipse, but before the end of the war, right? Because we found out during that play.”

Aang nodded. “It was while you were under Azula’s control. She had you as a bodyguard.”

“How?”

“What?”

Jet opened his eyes, looking at the both of them. “How did I kill the Fire Lord?”

“I don’t know,” Aang answered, and Ty Lee nodded in agreement. “Azula only said that you were protecting her from him.”

Ty Lee raised an eyebrow at Aang. Azula needing protection from Ozai? True, he’d shown physical cruelty to Zuko, but never to Azula, at least as far as she knew. Yes, Azula had been scared of him, but only from fear of being treated like Zuko.

….Had Ozai threatened to harm her?

But she was jolted from her thoughts as Jet spoke again, resentment enunciated in every syllable.

“And why am I only hearing about this now?”

Aang only looked at her, silently mouthing that she needed to answer him for this one.

“There wasn’t— there wasn’t a good time,” Ty Lee attempted to explain, but Jet cut her short.

“How long have you known?”

Ty Lee gulped. “Since we were up at the Northern Water Tribe.”

Jet’s eyes were cold, as cold as the icy waters of the North Pole. “You’ve known for _months_ , and you never thought to tell me?”

“I couldn’t figure out how! There—When is the right time to tell someone they killed someone?” Ty Lee protested, and it took so much to keep herself calm. Jet had a right to be angry, she reminded herself. He had a right to be angry, and she needed to stay calm. Still, the volume of her voice rose just the tiniest bit. “I knew you’d be upset!”

“I’m not mad that I killed the Fire Lord,” Jet growled out. “I’m mad that you _kept_ this from me. How many times had I brought up meeting your family? Going to the Fire Nation in some way or another? Those were the time you should have told me that I can’t go because I committed regicide!”

She drew in a calming breath, letting it out slowly. “I know, and I’m sorry.”

Jet only scowled and looked away. “Sorry doesn’t exactly cut it.”

It was lucky that Aang stepped forward, for Ty Lee could feel the spitfire in her rising up, ready to snap back at her boyfriend for being so _mean._ And maybe it was because he could see the sharpness of her glare as she stared down at Jet.

“Guys, don’t fight.” Somehow, Aang was able to remain level-headed. “I know this is a lot, but don’t fight over it, it’s not going to change anything.”

With a shake of his head, Jet scoffed. “Certainly not going to change that I can’t go to the Fire Nation.” He swore under his breath, pushing his hair out of his face. “…I still want Ty Lee to have that glider.”

Surprise getting the better of her, Ty Lee couldn’t help but to say, “Really?”

“I might be upset with you, but I still want you to be _safe_.”

Ty Lee hated how guilty that made her feel.

“How far away is your aunt?” Jet asked.

“About a half a day’s travel,” Aang answered. “On Appa at least.”

“So if you were to leave now, you’d be back by tomorrow?”

“Well, yeah—”

“Fine.” Jet crossed his arms over his chest. “You two go get that glider, and I’ll wait here.”

“And leave you here alone?” Ty Lee protested with a shake of her head. Jet needed the cane to just get around. If he were to run into trouble….

“I don’t like it either,” Aang agreed. “What if something happens? You’ll be stuck here without a way to get anywhere else.”

Jet didn’t appear too concerned by this. “I think I can handle myself.”

“What if,” Ty Lee said slowly, as the idea came to her, “I stay here with Jet, and you go, Aang? You can leave your glider with me; that way, if anything happens, Jet and I can fly off on the glider!”

“But you don’t know how to use a glider,” Jet grunted without looking up at her.

She let out an exasperated sigh. “Then maybe we shouldn’t even worry about going to Shu Jing. I don’t even think we need that glider—”

“Yes, you do!” Jet snapped back, glaring up at her. “I can’t do much to ensure you’re safe, but I’m going to make sure you have the tools you need, so you’re getting the damn glider.” He scoffed looking angrily away. “It’s the least you can do after the amount of bull you’ve put me through today.”

Silence fell between the three of them, and as his words sunk in, Ty Lee slowly nodded. “You’re…right,” she said. “Okay. What if I went alone?”

Aang rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. “But you’ve never had to steer Appa.”

“I’ve ridden mongoose lizards before.”

“I don’t know….”

“She’ll be back within a day,” Jet pointed out, his voice harsh, stinging. “Let her take Appa. Probably a heck of a lot faster than any other way we’ll come up with.”

It was decided, but even though they had come to an agreement, the tension surrounding all of them was thicker than ever. Jet remained where he’d chosen to sit, still surly, not looking in Ty Lee’s direction at all as she packed up a small bag for her journey. Aang had opted to ensure Appa was ready, which apparently meant that he was literally telling Appa about what was going to happen. It was unknown to Ty Lee whether or not Appa could understand people, but she wasn’t about to press the subject, considering how tense they all were.

With a few belongings in tow, she approached Jet, and refused to let him see how upset it made her that he didn’t look up at her.

“I’m all set to leave,” she said.

Jet glanced up at her, then sharply away. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

That stung. Ty Lee hated how much that stung, and she hated how he didn’t move to hug her goodbye or see her off. Biting down on her tongue, she nodded, and turned to go meet Aang.

As she stepped up beside him while he stroked Appa’s furry cheek, Aang looked over his shoulder at her, then frowned, turning even further back to glance at Jet. He started to open his mouth, but Ty Lee quickly spoke over him.

“We said goodbye already.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

“Oh.” Aang gave a short nod of his head and turned back to Appa. “You be careful with Ty Lee, okay, buddy? She’ll take care of you, but you have to help her steer, okay?”

Appa let out a rumble that Ty Lee could only imagine was in agreement, and Aang hugged his nose. Straightening up, he then hugged Ty Lee, who couldn’t help but to hug him a little longer than necessary.

“You’ll come straight back?” Aang asked.

“Oh, I was thinking of spending the night at my aunt’s,” Ty Lee admitted. “So that Appa wouldn’t have to spend the whole day flying, and we both could get a little rest.”

Aang didn’t find fault with that thinking.

Ty Lee attached her bag to the saddle, and climbed up onto the sky bison’s head where she could grip the reigns. Taking one last look at Jet, her heart sank to see him still sitting where she’d left him, still looking squarely to the side instead of at her.

Inhaling slowly, Ty Lee pulled gently at the reigns and yelled, “Appa, yip-yip!”

* * *

Aunt Ya had cried when Ty Lee told her the news. She’d hugged her tightly after Ty Lee’s very small and chaotic demonstration of her bending abilities that had sent several wall hangings flying.

But Aunt Ya had granted her the glider, had told her that without a doubt she was certain that her great-grandmother would have been overjoyed to find that Air Nomad still ran so strong in their bloodline, and that she was equally sure that she’d be so proud of Ty Lee for finding a way to bring their bending back out to the surface.

Everything about returning to Shu Jing to see her aunt felt wonderful; the delicious home cooked tom yum goong nearly brought Ty Lee to tears, she’d missed properly spiced foods and seafood. It felt good to see her aunt, to see the familiar Fire Nation landscape. Strange, really, how much she had missed her homeland. The thought of returning to the house she’d grown up in still made her uneasy, but she couldn’t deny that what she had been feeling was homesickness.

But she couldn’t come back, not for an extended period, at least. She owed Jet _so_ much— even if he was being a huge jerk face at the moment— that going somewhere where he couldn’t follow was just far too selfish of a move.

Despite the comforting surroundings, Ty Lee did not sleep well that night, her mind too stuck on Jet and how angry he was at her. More than once she wondered, if she had just let herself cry in front of him, if he would have forgiven her.

In the morning, with a handful of coins borrowed from her aunt (or rather, forced upon her once Aunt Ya realized that Ty Lee had missed the fruits and vegetables of the Fire Nation), Ty Lee set off to the market. This would mean for a later departure, but Ty Lee was very certain that when she arrived with pineapples and pomelos and dragonfruit, Aang wouldn’t mind the slight delay. Jet might even warm up to her again.

She could hope at least.

There were several guards in the market, a strange sight for a town as sleepy as Shu Jing, but as she meandered through the stalls and stands, she picked up on more than one rumor that the Fire Lord was going to be coming to visit. Ty Lee pouted at the thought; Zuko was going to be there, and she had to leave? That was hardly fair.

But, knowing Zuko, he’d be visiting Piandao in his castle on the hill, so it wasn’t likely Ty Lee would get anywhere near where Zuko was.

Basket loaded up with as many fruits as she could carry, Ty Lee took her time wandering through the market, trying to decide if it was worth it spending the last few copper pieces on a few spices to bring back. Aang seemed rather well acclimated to different cuisine; during their stay at the palace, he had no trouble with the hot and spicey dishes, while Sokka, Katara, and even Toph struggled through even some of the most mildly spiced meals. Jet, she was certain, would also find issue with the heat. Perhaps it was best to leave it be.

With a sigh, Ty Lee turned a corner, leaving the delightfully aromatic stall behind her, and nearly walked directly into someone.

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry!” she started, then froze. The basket she held slipped from her grip, falling to the ground; fruit splitting and scattering. She gulped, eyes locked on the golden ones in front of her. A gasp escaped her lips.

 _“Azula_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought!
> 
> As always, follow me @soozenwrites on tumblr for writing updates and fandom nonsense!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading (and possibly rereading). I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @soozenwrites for writing updates and fandom nonsense.


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